Hexamethylphosphoric Triamide carbanion reactivity

DMSO and /V, A- dime th y I fo nn a in i d c (DMF) are particularly effective in enhancing the reactivity of enolate ions, as Table 1.2 shows. Both of these compounds belong to the polar aprotic class of solvents. Other members of this class that are used as solvents in reactions between carbanions and alkyl halides include N-mcthyI pyrro I i donc (NMP) and hexamethylphosphoric triamide (HMPA). Polar aprotic solvents, as their name implies, are materials which have high dielectric constants but which lack hydroxyl groups or other... 

Summary Reacting 2-neopentyl substituted silacyclobutanes la,b with MeLi/HMPA (hexamethylphosphoric triamide) anionic polymerization to give polymers 3a,b plays only a minor role for product formation. Instead, the head-to-head dimers 2a,b are isolated as main products. Their formation is explained by a complex reaction mechanism, in which various carbanionic, highly reactive intermediates are discussed. Obviously, the bis-a-silyl substituted carbanions 10a,b are remarkably stable, as can be concluded from Si NMR spectroscopic investigations at low temperature and from the products formed by trapping reactions with alcohols. 

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