Scheme 21. Proposed stepwise catalytic alcoholysis of dihydridosilanes

There have been a few reports on the controlled catalytic alcoholysis of dialkylsilanes to produce the mono-hydrido silyl ether. 9a,c,15 16 One such report is by Corriu and Moreau who have illustrated the use of either (PPh3)3RJiCl, (PPh3)3RuCl or Raney Ni to execute the controlled alcoholysis of diphenylsilane to give the mono-functional alkoxysilane as the only product.93 Doyle attempted to use the Rh2(pfb)4 catalyst with diphenylsilane and trans- 1,2-cyclohexanediol to prepare the cyclic silyl ketal,16 but this was not successful, perhaps because the trans-fused 

We began our search by looking for silanes and catalysts that would allow a single addition of an alcohol to a dihydridosilane under mild conditions. The silanes that were studied are diethylsilane, diphenyl silane and diisopropylsilane. These silanes were treated with (+)-ethyl lactate in the presence of a variety of transition metal catalysts. The silanes were 

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Scheme 21. Proposed stepwise catalytic alcoholysis of dihydridosilanes.

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