Process for preparing aryl allyl ethers

A process for preparing an aryl allyl ether comprising reacting (a) a phenolic compound with (b) an allyl acetate in the presence of (c) an allylation catalyst selected from the group consisting of (1) a ruthenium transition metal or rare earth metal catalyst complex comprising at least one stable ligand (i) containing a substituted aromatic-containing moiety wherein the aromatic-containing ligand is cyclopentadienyl (Cp), pentamethylcyclonentadienyl (Cp*), indenyl (In), or 9-fluorenyl (Fl), or a substituted olefinic-containing ligand wherein the olefinic moiety is a cyclooctadienly (COD) or butyldienyl moiety or substituted olefinic-containing ligands, and

• (2) a platinum or palladium transition metal complex comprising at least one stable ligand (ii) comprising a phosphorus-containing polymeric multidentate ligand wherein the number of phosphine moieties plus the number of ligating atoms O, N, and S is three or greater per each polymer chain, or a phosphorus-containing multidentate monomeric ligand wherein the number of phosphine moieties plus the number of ligating atoms O, N, and S is three or greater per each molecule of the multidentate monomeric ligand;
• wherein the ruthenium transition metal or rare earth metal catalyst complex (1) with ligand (i) is represented by partial structural Formulas E, F, G, or H:
• wherein M is a transition metal or rare earth metal;
• R5 is a monodentate olefinic or an aromatic-containing ligand, and X′ is a moiety bridging or linking the R5 groups together such that the R5—X′—R5 structure becomes a bidentate ligand, wherein R5 may be the same or a different group;
• and A is an ancillary group attached to the R5 or X′ group, wherein A may be an aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, aromatic, or combination thereof moiety having one or more heteroatoms capable of forming one or more coordination bonds with the transition metal or rare earth metal M.