Additions boryl/silyl conjugate

Finally, the fourth approach (path d) involves the generation of conjugated nitro olefins C from the starting AN by known methods. The latter are involved in the conjugated [1,4]-addition to give target nitronates. This process is of most importance for the synthesis of six-membered cyclic nitronates (see Section 3.2.1.2.2). This method was also used to prepare a small series of boryl-, silyl-and acyl nitronates (see Sections 3.2.3 and 3.2.4). It is beyond reason to believe that all possibilities of the approach (d) are exhausted by these examples. 

Notwithstanding the extremely rich and diverse reactivity presented above, all the examples presented thus far feature the addition of an NHC catalyst onto an sp carbon. Several reactions have been developed in the last ten years describing the activation of heteroatom o bonds by NHCs [8cj. The concept can be well illustrated by the recent work of Hoveyda and coworkers, who reported boryl and silyl conjugate additions to a,P-unsaturated carbonyls (Scheme 18.35) [124]. In both cases, addition of the NHC onto a trivalent boron atom activated the B-heteroatom bond. The use of Cj-symmetric imidazolinium salt 169 in the sUyl conjugate addition led to P-silyl ketones, esters, and aldehydes in good to high enantioselectivity. 

Boryl and silyl conjugate additions, according to Hoveyda and coworkers. 

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