Abstract Vinylmercurials react readily with allylic halides, lithium chloride and palladium chloride in tetrahydrofuran to give 1, 4-dienes. Some reactions proceed well using only catalytic amounts of palladium chloride while others require stoichiometric amounts. The yields decrease with increasing substitution about the carbon carbon double bond of the allylic halide. The reactions appear to proceed through the addition of vinylpalldium ...