Oxonium cation, Silyl

The 5-lactols and their acetylated derivatives (2, 8) are activated by acid to form oxonium cation intermediates (3, 9), which are attacked by nucleophiles to provide the substituted tetrahydropyrans with good stereoselectivity (Scheme 3) [13]. As the nucleophiles, allylsilane 4 (Hosomi-Sakurai reaction), silyl enol ethers 5 (Mukaiyama aldol) and EtaSiH (reduction) have frequently been used. Since the axial attack of the nucleophiles determines the product s... 

In 2008, we reported the use of chiral IV-trifyl thiophosphoimide to catalyze enantioselective protmiation of silyl enol ethers with various achiral proton sources (Fig. 13) [56]. It was found that neither the achiral acids nor stoichiometric amount of chiral catalyst alone can protonate the silyl enol ether substrate under such reaction conditions. We believe the combined BBA catalyst, which is an oxonium cation with chiral thiophosphoimide counteranion, is the reactive species for this protonation reaction. On the other hand, since the extremely bulky chiral counter anion cannot accomplish the desilylation step, presence of achiral proton source for catalyst regeneration turns out to be essential. 

While catalyst 28 may directly protonate the aldehyde to form an ion pair, an alternative yet more hkely mechanism was proposed (Figure 7.6). The initial silyla-tion of 28 by ketene silyl acetal may occur to form an N-sUyl disulfonamide that could then activate the aldehyde as an actual catalyst through sUyl transfer to generate an O-silylated oxonium cation paired with disulfonitriide anion. Therefore, the stereochemical outcome would be determined in the reaction of this ion pair with silyl ketene acetal to give the product through the intermediate shown in Figure 7.6. 

These reactions presumably proceed by catalytic cycles in which the carbonyl component is silylated. The silyl ether can then act as a nucleophile, and an oxonium ion is generated by elimination of a disilyl ether. The reduction of the oxonium ion regenerates the silyl cation, which can continue the catalytic cycle. 

Silylium ions, which are not protected sterically or are not stabilized either electronically or by intramolecular interaction with a remote substituent do interact strongly with the solvent and/or the counteranion. The reaction of the transient silylium ion with solvents like ethers, nitriles and even aromatic hydrocarbons lead to oxonium, nitrilium and arenium ions with a tetrahedral environment for the silicon atom. These new cationic species can be clearly identified by their characteristic Si NMR chemical shifts. That is, the oxonium salt [Me3SiOEt2] TFPB is characterized by S Si = 66.9 in CD2CI2 solution at —70°C. " Similar chemical shifts are found for related silylated oxonium ions. Nitrilium ions formed by the reaction of intermediate trialkyl silylium ions with nitriles are identified by Si NMR chemical shifts S Si = 30—40 (see also Table VI for some examples). Trialkyl-substituted silylium ions generated in benzene solution yield silylated benzenium ions, which can be easily detected by a silicon NMR resonance at 8 Si = 90—100 (see Table VI). ... 

Quantum mechanical calculations show that the silyl cation (19) has a twisted structure, and that the a-C02 group provides substantial electrostatic stabilization.58 Isotope effects for its formation reaction are also reported.58 Evidence is provided for the stabilization of incipient oxocarbenium ions by axial electronegative substituents, as in (20) the presence of the most electronegative substituent results in the fastest reaction.59 Lewis acid-promoted cleavage of spirocyclic dioxanes such as (21) involves oxonium ions, and high axial vs equatorial product selectivities are possible with the correct choice of Lewis acid and nucleophile.60 Reactions which lead to 1,3-dioxenium salts have been reviewed.61... 

The internally stabilized silyl cation (36), formed by hydride transfer as shown, has a 2-silanorbomyl cation structure, and is not coordinated to die solvent or the counterion.78 NMR chemical shifts calculated on the basis of die bridged structure shown are in agreement with the experimental values. The autiiors describe it as free but internally re-stabilized .78 The silicon-stabilized oxonium ion (37) shows considerable stereoselectivity in its reactions (38) is the preferred product isomer by a 92 8 ratio, and (39) by 98 2.79... 

Allyl silanes will also attack carbonyl compounds when they are activated by coordination of the carbonyl oxygen atom to a Lewis acid. The Lewis acid, usually a metal halide such as TiCLj or ZnCl2, activates the carbonyl compound by forming an oxonium ion with a metal-oxygen bond. The allyl silane attacks in the usual way and the (3-silyl cation is desilylated with the halide ion. Hydrolysis of the metal alkoxide gives a homoallylic alcohol. 

Kobayashi et al. studied the catalytic activity of many metal salts in Mukaiyama-aldol reactions in aqueous THE They came to the conclusion that the catalytic activity of a metal in aqueous media should be related both to the hydrolysis constant, /Ch, and water exchange rate constant (WERC) of the metal [8]. All metals with good catalytic activity had p/Ch values ranging between 4.3 and 10.08 and WERC > 3.2 X 10 s This was because when for a metal is < 4.3, the metal cation is readily hydrolyzed to generate oxonium ion, which then helps the decomposition of the silyl enol ethers. When pMh > 10.08 the Lewis acidity of the metal is too low to promote the reaction. When the WERC is < 3.2 x 10 m s, exchange of water molecules seldom occurred and aldehydes had a very little chance to coordinate to the metal to be activated. The metals which fulfill these criteria are Sc(III), Fe(II), Cu(II), Zn(ll), Y(IIl), Cd(Il), Ln(Ill) and Pb(ll). 

The silyl triflate 8 (Scheme 3) shows an ambireactive behavior of the cation. Reaction with a methylmagnesium chloride or water leads to the methyl-substituted product and to the siloxane, respectively, as expected for an electrophilic silicon center. An oxonium ion reactivity is observed in the reaction with neutral Lewis bases such as triethylamine and trimethylphosphine. 

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