Catalysis Science & Technology PERSPECTIVE Cite this: DOI: 10.1039/c4cy00043a Received 13th January 2014, Accepted 19th February 2014 DOI: 10.1039/c4cy00043a www.rsc.org/catalysis Direct allylation of alcohols using allyltrimethylsilane: a move towards an economical and ecological protocol for C–C bond formation† Atul Chaskar * a and Kaliyappan Murugan * b The allylation of benzylic, allylic and propargylic alcohols by means of allyltrimethylsilane represents one of the most powerful, elegant and practical methods for the formation of carbon–carbon bonds in organic synthesis. This method has received considerable attention owing to the ability of allylated compounds to undergo further synthetic manipulations. The aim of this review is to summarise the recent trends and developments reported in the literature and to assist in the creation of novel methodologies. 1. Introduction The last decade has witnessed extensive progress in synthetic chemistry in terms of the development of new mild and selective methodologies for the practical and efficient synthe- sis of various complex bioactive molecules and natural prod- ucts. Though this has drastically changed many concepts of synthetic chemistry, there is still emphasis on the protection and safety of our mother nature, and there is continuous demand for the development of innovative synthetic strate- gies. Among the various reactions developed for C–C and C–X (X = H, N, O, S) bond formation, the development of econom- ical and ecological viable processes for the construction of C–C bonds has always been a point of interest in organic chemistry. In the fulfilment of this purpose, a more practical and feasible approach is the allylation of carbonyl com- pounds, acetals and alcohols using allylsilane. The allylated product is the highly desired scaffold due to easy generation of the asymmetric carbon centre. Hosomi–Sakurai allylation of carbonyl compounds 1–19 and acetals 3,10,20–39 has been thor- oughly explored as compared to that of alcohols owing to their poor leaving ability and acid sensitivity, which hampers the substitution. Catal. Sci. Technol. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2014 Atul Chaskar Atul Chaskar received his bachelor and master degrees from University of Pune in 1995 and 1997, respectively. He earned his Ph.D. from University of Mumbai in 2006. Following this, he was awarded a postdoc- toral fellowship by the Italian government in 2008 to conduct research in the laboratory of Prof. Elena Vismara at Politecnico Di Milano. Subsequently in 2010 he moved to National Taiwan University and joined the group of Prof. Ken-Tsung Wong. He joined the Institute of Chemical Technology in 2013 as a CSIR Pool Scientist. His research areas include the synthesis of organic materials for optoelectronic appli- cations and development of new synthetic approaches. Kaliyappan Murugan Kaliyappan Murugan obtained his bachelor and master from University of Madaras and Bharathidasan University, respec- tively. He completed his Ph.D. in July 2011 at National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan. Since August 2011 he has worked as a postdoctoral research Fellow at National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan. His research interests include new processes related to drug development and pharmaceuticals, asymmetric synthesis and organometallics. a Institute of Chemical Technology, Matunga, Mumbai 400019, India. E-mail: achaskar25@gmail.com; Tel: +91 7507375261 b National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan † Dedicated to Prof. P. M. Bhate on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Published on 20 February 2014. Downloaded by National Taiwan University on 15/05/2014 07:03:50. View Article Online View Journal