Ruthenium catalysis allylic substitution

Ruthenium-catalyzed allylic alkylation falls between known catalysis with respect to regioselectivity and chirality of products. Like Pd, Mo, and W-but unlike Rh regioselectivity is not highly dependent on the nature of the starting carbonate. However, unlike Pd and Mo, but similar to Rh and W, substitution of the chiral substrate occurs with high retention of configuration, (equation 75). Hence the Ru system compliments other metal-catalyzed allylic systems well. ... 

A related iridium complex has been used for the decarbo)grlative radical allylation of aminoacids and phenylacetic acids that occurs smoothly at room temperature in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4, irradiating by white LEDs. The proposed scheme (Scheme 6) is based on dual catalysis. Ruthenium tris(phenanthroline) dichloride has been used for visible light catalysis of the mild amidation of ketoacids by ort/zo-substituted anilines using ozygen as terminal oxidant (Scheme 7) ... 

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