In the presence of 5 mol'% of Pd (PPhJ4,@-keto acids were reacted with allylic acetates in benzene or tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature to produce a-allylic ketones with quantitative evolution of COz (eq 2). a-Allylic ketones are the allylic alkylation products of allylic acetates by p-keto acids.@-Keto acids employed (1)(a) Trost, BM Acc. Chem. Res. 1980, 13, 385.(b) Tsuji, J.