Pd(0)·Et
3B catalyzes amphiphilic activation of symmetric allylic diol
1 to promote electrophilic allylation at the
-position of aldehydes
and nucleophilic allylation at the aldehyde CO, furnishing 3-methylenecyclopentalols
2 and thus generation of a zwitterionic trimethylenemethane species from the commercially available diol
1.