Nucleophilic iodotrimethylsilane

The use of iodotrimethylsilane for this purpose provides an effective alternative to known methods. Thus the reaction of primary and secondary methyl ethers with iodotrimethylsilane in chloroform or acetonitrile at 25—60° for 2—64 hours affords the corresponding trimethylsilyl ethers in high yield. The alcohols may be liberated from the trimethylsilyl ethers by methanolysis. The mechanism of the ether cleavage is presumed to involve initial formation of a trimethylsilyl oxonium ion which is converted to the silyl ether by nucleophilic attack of iodide at the methyl group. tert-Butyl, trityl, and benzyl ethers of primary and secondary alcohols are rapidly converted to trimethylsilyl ethers by the action of iodotrimethylsilane, probably via heterolysis of silyl oxonium ion intermediates. The cleavage of aryl methyl ethers to aryl trimethylsilyl ethers may also be effected more slowly by reaction with iodotrimethylsilane at 25—50° in chloroform or sulfolane for 12-125 hours, with iodotrimethylsilane at 100—110° in the absence of solvent, " and with iodotrimethylsilane generated in situ from iodine and trimcthylphenylsilane at 100°. ... 

A synthetic study has revealed that the combination of anhydrous hydrogen chloride and zinc(II) chloride in the presence of a nucleophile, e.g. benzenethiol, promotes the ring cleavage of cyclobutanones such as bicyclo[3.2.0]heptan-6-one (28) to provide / -sulfanyl ketones such as 3-phenylsulfanylcycloheptanone (27).63 Alternatively, iodotrimethylsilane in the presence of either mercury/water or zinc(II) iodide also converts cyclobutanones to /i-iodo ketones 29.64 The synthetic applications of these transformations are summarized in Table 5. 

In the presence of proton and/or Lewis acid and strong nucleophiles bicyclo[3.2.0]heptan-6-ones are converted to 3-substituted cycloheptanones (Table 15). Bicyclo[3.2.0]heptan-6-ones rearrange to give 3-iodocycloheptanones on treatment with iodotrimethylsilane. Zinc(II) iodide or mercury(II) halides as catalysts enhance the rate and the selectivity of the reaction.31 If a second, enolizable carbonyl group is present, an intramolecular alkylation may follow the ring enlargement under these reaction conditions.32 Consecutive treatment with tributyltin hydride/ 2,2 -azobisisobutyronitrile affords reduced, iodo-free cycloheptanones, whilst treatment with l,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undecene yields cycloheptenones.33 Similarly, benzenethiol adds to the central bond of bicyclo[3.2.0]heptan-6-ones in the presence of zinc(II) chloride and hydrochloric acid under anhydrous conditions to form 3-(phenylsulfanyl)cycloheptanones.34... 

With an acceptor-substituted alkene moiety tethered to the molecule, the intermediate silyl enol ether may undergo an intramolecular [2-I-2] cycloaddition.The silyl-assisted addition of hydrogen halides to cyclopropanes is not restricted to ketones with carbonyl groups as activating function or iodide as nucleophile. Esters and other acid derivatives underwent similar reactions when treated with iodotrimethylsilane alone or in the presence of an additional catalyst such as mercury(II) or zinc(II) chloride.Subsequent treatment of the y-iodo ester with potassium carbonate in tetrahydrofuran gave the respective y-butyrolactones in good yield. 

General Discussion. 2,4-Pentadienyltrimethylsilane is used as a stable (storable) nucleophilic substitute for pentadienyllithium. This compound reacts with Lewis acid (boron trifluoride etherate, iodotrimethylsilane, titanium(IV) chloride) activated electrophiles in the same manner as allylsilanes (eq 1). Generally only e-substitution is observed (cf. Table 1). ... 

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