A highly regioselective hydrocarbonylation of phenylacetylene with thiols and alcohols was developed using metal carbonyls/diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (DABCO) system at 100 °C in DMF. The use of Mo(CO)6 and thiols in the presence of DABCO was applied as an efficient Pd-free method for hydrothiocarbonylation of phenylacetylene into trans-α,β-cinamyl thioesters in excellent yields (88–98%). Similar reaction