Reactions Forming Silylated Products

It is well recognized that /Tsilylcarbenium ions are prone to desilylation leading to alkenes by nucleophilic attack of the counteranions or a solvent molecule to the silicon center. However, synthetic use of the kinetically unstable carbon species for intramolecular bond formation has intensively been studied in the last decade. 

The BF3-OEt2-promoted [3 + 2]-cycloaddition of l-morpholino-2-trimethylsilylethyne to homochiral epoxides is very valuable for direct asymmetric synthesis of 7-butanolides (Equation (4)).36 The initial product, a 4-sily 1-2,3-dihydrofuran, may be formed by ring closure of the /3-silylcarbenium ion generated from a BF3-activated epoxide and 

In the presence of a stoichiometric amount of GaCl3, alkynylsilanes react with arenes to give /3-arylated alkenyl-silanes after treatment with MeLi followed by hydrolysis (Equation (6)). The proposed mechanism for the 

Intramolecular /ra r-carbosilylation of terminal alkynes with alkenyl- and arylsilanes proceeds efficiently under catalysis by a Lewis acid (Equation (8)).41,41a Alkenyl- and arylsilanes bearing an alkynyl group at the (1- or ortho-position undergo -cyclization, while a-alkynyl-substituted alkenylsilanes are converted into tv/r/a-cyclization products. These cyclizations have been proposed to proceed also via a /3-silylcarbenium ion intermediate. However, the cationic center does not participate in bond formation. The intermolecular alkenylsilylation of terminal alkynes is rather limited in applicability.42 

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Lewis Acid-promoted Reactions Forming Silylated Products... 

Bicyclic ketones, also, have been prepared intramolecularly from silyl enol ethers. Six-membered rings are formed more easily in these reactions than in the reactions forming monocyclic products, described earlier.38... 

In addition to the boron trifluoride-diethyl ether complex, chlorotrimcthylsilanc also shows a rate accelerating effect on cuprate addition reactions this effect emerges only if tetrahydrofuran is used as the reaction solvent. No significant difference in rate and diastereoselectivity is observed in diethyl ether as reaction solvent when addition of the cuprate, prepared from butyllithium and copper(I) bromide-dimethylsulfide complex, is performed in the presence or absence of chlorotrimethylsilane17. If, however, the reaction is performed in tetrahydrofuran, the reaction rate is accelerated in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane and the diastereofacial selectivity increases to a ratio of 88 12 17. In contrast to the reaction in diethyl ether, the O-silylated product is predominantly formed in tetrahydrofuran. The alcohol product is only formed to a low extent and showed a diastereomeric ratio of 55 45, which is similar to the result obtained in the absence of chlorotrimethylsilane. This discrepancy indicates that the selective pathway leading to the O-silylated product is totally different and several times faster than the unselective pathway" which leads to the unsilylated alcohol adduct. A slight further increase in the Cram selectivity was achieved when 18-crown-6 was used in order to increase the steric bulk of the reagent. 

There are, however, serious problems that must be overcome in the application of this reaction to synthesis. The product is a new carbocation that can react further. Repetitive addition to alkene molecules leads to polymerization. Indeed, this is the mechanism of acid-catalyzed polymerization of alkenes. There is also the possibility of rearrangement. A key requirement for adapting the reaction of carbocations with alkenes to the synthesis of small molecules is control of the reactivity of the newly formed carbocation intermediate. Synthetically useful carbocation-alkene reactions require a suitable termination step. We have already encountered one successful strategy in the reaction of alkenyl and allylic silanes and stannanes with electrophilic carbon (see Chapter 9). In those reactions, the silyl or stannyl substituent is eliminated and a stable alkene is formed. The increased reactivity of the silyl- and stannyl-substituted alkenes is also favorable to the synthetic utility of carbocation-alkene reactions because the reactants are more nucleophilic than the product alkenes. 

In order to document the radical disproportionation reaction, we have used FT-IR spectroscopy to characterize the irradiation products. Upon irradiation of 1 in pentane, the formation of the characteristic peak near 2100 cm-1 due to Si-H stretching vibrations was readily apparent. The IR spectrum obtained in perdeuterated pentane was identical, suggesting that radical processes other than abstraction from the solvent are involved. Furthermore the ESR spectrum obtained in this solvent is identical to that already described. This raises the question whether the initially formed silyl radicals really abstract hydrogen from carbon with the formation of carbon-based radicals as suggested (13), particularly in light of the endothermicity of such a process. 

Some examples of the lateral cyclization of suitable O-allyl and O-propargyl derivatives were discussed in CHEC-11(1996) <1996CHEC-II(8)747>. Thermal reaction of silyl diazoacetate 303 in xylene provides unspecific decomposition and a minor amount (about 2%) of a colorless solid can be precipitated with ether. The X-ray diffraction analysis identified the structure 305, which is a product of the lateral criss-cross cycloaddition of primarily formed azine 304 (Scheme 43) <2000T4139>. 

The probable pathway giving rise to silylated cyclic nitrile (589), which is the most unusual reaction product, is shown on the left of Scheme 3.282. Apparently, this compound is generated through the cationic intermediate A. It undergoes cyclization at the terminal electron-rich C,C-double bond to form silylated oxime (587), which is transformed into nitrile (588). After silylation of the latter, nitrile (589) can be isolated. Desilylation of (589) according to standard procedures affords nitrile (588). 

Initial investigations in the Mannich-type reaction of silyl enolates with benzal-dehyde and aniline employed a series of bismuth(III) salts (Scheme 9, Table 10). These results were promising because the corresponding (l-amino ketone could be obtained in moderate to good yield with bismuth halides, except bismuth fluoride (Table 10, entries 1 1). Bismuth nitrate smoothly afforded the expected product (Table 10, entry 5). While bismuth acetate gave no conversion, bismuth trifluor-oacetate provided the product in only moderate yield (Table 10, entries 6 and 7). Phenyl bismuth ditriflate and diphenyl bismuth triflate appeared to be more efficient catalysts than all those previously tested (Table 10, entries 8 and 9). Bismuth(III) triflate led to the expected product in a good yield and in a short reaction time, without any difference between the anhydrous and the hydrated form (Table 10, entries 10 and 11). 

Diyne cyclization/hydrosilylation catalyzed by 4 was proposed to occur via a mechanism analogous to that proposed for nickel-catalyzed diyne cyclization/hydrosilylation (Scheme 4). It was worth noting that experimental evidence pointed to a silane-promoted reductive elimination pathway. In particular, reaction of dimethyl dipropargylmalonate with HSiMc2Et (3 equiv.) catalyzed by 4 led to predominant formation of the disilylated uncyclized compound 5 in 51% yield, whereas slow addition of HSiMe2Et to a mixture of the diyne and 4 led to predominant formation of silylated 1,2-dialkylidene cyclopentane 6 (Scheme 5). This and related observations were consistent with a mechanism involving silane-promoted G-H reductive elimination from alkenylrhodium hydride species Id to form silylated uncyclized products in competition with intramolecular carbometallation of Id to form cyclization/hydrosilylation products (Scheme 4). Silane-promoted reductive elimination could occur either via an oxidative addition/reductive elimination sequence involving an Rh(v) intermediate, or via a cr-bond metathesis pathway. 

Ojima has reported a rhodium-catalyzed protocol for the disilylative cyclization of diynes with hydrosilanes to form alkylidene cyclopentanes and/or cyclopentenes. As an example, reaction of dipropargylhexylamine with triethyl-silane catalyzed by Rh(acac)(GO)2 under an atmosphere of CO at 65 °G for 10 h gave an 83 17 mixture of the disilylated alkylidene pyrrolidine derivative 92b (X = N-//-hexyl) and the disilylated dihydro-1/ -pyrrole 92c (X = N-//-hexyl) in 76% combined yield (Equation (60)). Compounds 92b and 92c were presumably formed via hydrosilyla-tion and hydrosilylation/isomerization, respectively, of the initially formed silylated dialkylidene cyclopentane 92a (Equation (60)). The 92b 92c ratio was substrate dependent. Rhodium-catalyzed disilylative cyclization of dipro-pargyl ether formed the disilylated alkylidene tetrahydrofuran 92b (X = O) as the exclusive product in low yield, whereas the reaction of dimethyl dipropargylmalonate formed cyclopentene 92c [X = C(C02Et)2] as the exclusive product in 74% isolated yield (Equation (60)). 

Disilanes connected via both the Si-Si bond and an organic or an organo-metallic linkage are activated toward reaction with unsaturated substrates to form cyclic bis(silyl) products. Reactions of 3,4-benzo-l,l,2,2-tetraethyl-1,2-disilacyclobutene with diphenylacetylene or benzaldehyde catalyzed by Ni(PEt3)4 proceed with addition across the multiple bond to form the ring-expanded product.54 A second product is formed in a lesser amount in the case of diphenylacetylene, with insertion into the Si-C bond [Eq. (13)]. 

Another modification of the double silylation process reported by Tanaka and co-workers involves the use of a bis(hydrosilane) instead of a disilane as the reactant molecule.61 This reaction can be described as a dehydrogenative double silylation, in that two Si-H bonds are activated rather than an Si-Si bond. The system is best catalyzed by Pt(CH2=CH2)(PPh3)2 other Pt, Pd, Ru, and Rh complexes give only very low yields of the double-silylated products. Alkynes, alkenes, and dienes undergo reaction with the bis (hydrosilane) with a range of results. Silicon-oxygen bonds and silicon-nitrogen bonds can also be formed by this method and are discussed in the appropriate sections later. 

This reaction is also a transfer dehydrogenative reaction, as two reactant hydrogen atoms are not incorporated into the enol silyl ether product but instead serve to hydrogenate another molecule of starting alkene. For example, in the reaction of vinylcyclohexane, ethylcyclohexane is obtained in equal amounts to the silylated product. Both iridium complexes effectively catalyze the reaction. Various silanes can be used, including di-ethylmethyl-, triethyl-, and dimethylphenylsilane. The reaction is successful for a range of terminal alkenes, even those bearing cyano, acetal, and epoxide functionalities. The E isomer of the product is predominantly formed. 

Tanaka and co-workers have investigated the dehydrogenative double silylation of carbonyl-containing compounds with o-bis(dimethylsilyl)ben-zene [Eqs. (66) and (67)].173 High-yield 1,2-double silylation occurs in reactions of heptanal, benzaldehyde, and diphenylketene catalyzed by Pt(CH2 = CH2)(PPh3)2 or Pt(dba)2. In contrast, the 1,4-double silylation product is formed for a,/3-unsaturated aldehyde or a,/3-Unsaturated ketone substrates, such as prop-2-enal and but-3-en-2-one. The system may also be affected by sterics reaction of ( )-3-phenyl-2-propenal gives 1,2-adduct as the major product and only minor amounts of 1,4-adduct. Hydrosilylation products were not formed in any of the carbonyl systems studied. 

In contrast, in the excited state the primary cleavage mechanism in silacyclobutanes like 5 involves the breaking of a silicon-carbon bond23. The initially formed silyl radicals 15 and 16 are stabilized by an intramolecular disproportionation reaction giving the silenes 17 and 18 and the homoallylsilane 19.17 and 18 were identified by their trapping products (20, 21) with methanol (equation 5)23. From pyrolysis of Z-5 a different set of products from 1,4-diradical disproportionation is obtained, which can be attributed to predominant cleavage of the carbon-carbon bond23. 

Recently the unprecedented example of stereoselective C—Si bond activation in cu-silyl-substituted alkane nitriles by bare CQ+ cations has been reported by Hornung and coworkers72b. Very little is known of the gas-phase reactions of anionic metal complexes with silanes. In fact there seems to be only one such study which has been carried out by McDonald and coworkers73. In this work the reaction of the metal-carbonyl anions Fe(CO) (n = 2, 3) and Mn(CO) (n = 3, 4) with trimethylsilane and SiH have been examined. The reactions of Fe(CO)3 and Mn(CO)4 anions exclusively formed the corresponding adduct ions via an oxidative insertion into the Si—H bonds of the silanes. The 13- and 14-electron ions Fc(CO)2 and Mn(CO)3 were observed to form dehydrogenation products (CO) M(jj2 — CH2 = SiMe2) besides simple adduct formation with trimethylsilane. The reaction of these metal carbonyl anions with SiFLj afforded the dehydrogenation products (CO)2Fe(H)(SiII) and (CO)3Mn(II)(SiII). ... 

Novel carbonylative carbocyclizations of 1,6-diynes promoted by Ru3(CO)i2/P(hex-c)3 in the presence of HSiMc2Bu-Z give bicyclic o-catechol derivatives by incorporating two carbon monoxide molecules as the 1,2-dioxyethenyl moiety (equations 148 and 149)346. This reaction is tolerant of functional groups such as ester, ketone, ether and amide. The disilylated product 366 is formed through dehydrogenative silylation of the initially formed mono-silyl product 365 under the reaction conditions. 

The reactions of silylated synthons to form heterocycles are well appreciated methods in the heterocyclic chemistry. A great variety of nitrogen containing products can be obtained in a classical approach via a 1,3-dipolarophilic addition of substituted acetylenes plus diazo-compounds204 (Scheme 43). It could be shown205 that these additions can be considered as evidence for a directive influence of the TMS moiety because one of the two possible reaction products is usually favoured (Scheme 43) and e.g. 320 is the only reaction product, whereas the addition of TMS-acetyl-ace-tylene (317) plus diazomethane (318) leads to two isomers featuring 325 as the main product (Scheme 43). 

Another reaction in which the dimerization of a mononuclear silylene complex is suggested to play an important role is shown in Scheme ll.58 After the oxidative addition of disilacyclobutene to each iron center, fluorine migration accompanied by the cleavage of the Fe-Fe bond leads to a silyl(silylene) complex as one of the intermediates, which then dimerizes in head-to-tail fashion to form the product. 

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