Iron porphyrin-catalyzed olefination of ketenes with diazoacetate for the enantioselective synthesis of allenes

The article describes an efficient method for the synthesis of allenes under neutral conditions by olefination of ketenes with EDA in the presence of [Ph.sub.3]P and catalytic Fe(TCP)Cl. The method is found to be potentially useful in organic synthesis due to high enantioselectivity, the neutral condition, and the recovery and reusability of phosphine.