The one-pot preparation of allyl- and dienyl-zirconocene derivatives can be easily achieved via a tandem allylic C-H-activation-β-elimination reaction from unsaturated fatty alcohol and enol ether derivatives, respectively. The reaction proceeds rapidly, under mild conditions, and is insensitive to the length of the carbon tether between the double bond and the leaving group moiety.
allylzirconocene - dienyl zirconocene - allylic C-H activation - isomerization - elimination