Diastereomeric pairs of enantiomers of 1-(1-chloroethyl)- 3-methyl-π-allylpalladium chloride are formed when either trans,trans-, cis,cis-, or ci,strans-hexa-2,4-diene are allowed to react with palladium chloride at –40° in an aprotic solvent: these reactions can be employed to effect the conversions, cis,cis→trans,trans⇄cis, trans-hexa-2,4-diene.