Isoprenylation of aldehydes and ketones was directly performed by selective indium insertion on a mixture of 2-bromomethyl-1,3-butadiene and its vinylic isomers in good yields. A short synthesis of (±)-ipsenol, an aggregation pheromone of the Ips paraconfusus bark beetle, demonstrates the utility of this method in organic synthesis.
isoprenylation; indium; 2-bromomethyl-1,3-butadiene; (±)-ipsenol