Hydrosilylation, Bis-silylation, and Reduction

Reaction of triethylsilane with a, /3-unsaturated aldehydes catalyzed by Pd on carbon gives a /raff5-l,4-adduct as the main product. Reaction of acrolein gave the adduct in 86% yield, in which the 1,4-adduct 48 was 97% and the 1,2-adduct was 3%[44]. 

4-Addition of dihydrosilane to a, /J-unsaturated carbonyl compounds such as citral (49), followed by hydrolysis, affords saturated citroneJlal (50) directly. The reaction is used for the selective reduction of conjugated double bonds[45,46]. In addition to Pd catalyst, the use of a catalytic amount of 

ZnCl2 is essential. The reaction was utilized in the synthesis of strophanthidin. Only the q, /3-alkene in the a, fi- and 7, (5-unsaturated ketone 51 is reduced selectively[47], Triethoxysilane is another reducing agent of the enone 52 and simple alkenes[48]. 

Triethylammonium formate is another reducing agent for q, /3-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. Pd on carbon is better catalyst than Pd-phosphine complex, and citral (49) is reduced to citronellal (50) smoothly[55]. However, the trisubstituted butenolide 60 is reduced to the saturated lactone with potassium formate using Pd(OAc)2. Triethylammonium formate is not effective. Enones are also reduced with potassium formate[56]. Sodium hypophosphite (61) is used for the reduction of double bonds catalyzed by Pd on charcoal[57]. 

An interesting synthetic method for the [3.3.3]propellane 74 by intramolecular cycloaddition of a disubstituted methylenecyclopropane with an iinsa- 

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