Catalytic reactions of 1, 3-butadiene with ketones were carried out with a nickel-ligand system to give stereoselectively tertiary alcohols having a (2Z, 5E)-2, 5, 7-octatrienyl-or a (2Z, 6E, 9E)-2, 6, 9, 11-dodecatetraenyl chain. Similar reactions of isoprene gave a mixture of terpenic and apoterpenic alcohols. A possible reaction scheme was discussed in terms of an insertion of the carbonyl group to a σ-allyl end of octadienyl or dodecatrienyl nickel ...
