Developments and applications of allyl-(aza)allyl coupling reactions.

We have summarized the developments and advancements of allyl-(aza)allyl coupling reactions in the past years. Since the first report in 1980, Pd-catalyzed allyl-allyl couplings have not drawn chemists' much attention for almost 20 years. Not until the last two decades, transition-metal-catalyzed allyl-(aza)allyl transformations have been retrieved vital interest and significantly developed in many respects, including metal-catalyst, ligand development, mechanistic understanding, substrate scope, and applications in the preparation of complex functional molecules. This review is organized according to the transition metals used in allyl-allyl coupling reactions including our own work. Besides, transition-metal-free, allyl-azaallyl cross-couplings and applications in the total synthesis of natural products and drugs have also been included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]