Generation of Polysubstituted Tetrahydrofurans via Urea-Enabled, Pd-Catalyzed Olefin Heteroannulation

Herein, we report a palladium-catalyzed heteroannulation approach to couple 2-bromoallyl alcohols and 1,3-dienes to generate a broad range of polysubstituted tetrahydrofuran (THF) rings enabled by urea ligands. Under urea-enabled Pd catalysis, a structurally diverse range of ambiphiles and dienes can be engaged to generate THF products with varying substitution patterns. These products can be readily transformed into prevalent core scaffolds in polyketide natural products.