The thiazolium-catalyzed Sila-Stetter reaction: conjugate addition of acylsilanes to unsaturated esters and ketones

A new acyl anion addition reaction between acylsilanes and alpha,beta-unsaturated conjugate acceptors promoted by a nucleophilic organic catalyst has been disclosed. The 1,4-dicarbonyl products produced in this reaction are highly useful synthons. Neutral carbenes (or zwitterions) generated in situ from commercial thiazolium salts are used as effective catalysts for the reaction which is in contrast to established anionic catalysts typically employed to promote the required Brook rearrangement (1,2-silyl shift from carbon to oxygen) involved in the reported reaction. This process successfully utilizes acylsilanes as tunable acyl anion progenitors and is tolerant of a wide range of structural diversity on the acylsilane or the conjugate acceptor.     

Cu/SaBox-Catalyzed Photoinduced Coupling of Acylsilanes with Alkynes

The transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction with Fischer metal carbene intermediates bearing an electron-rich alkoxyl or siloxyl group remains a big challenge due to the lack of readily available corresponding carbene precursors. Herein, we report the coupling of alkynes with the Fischer-type copper carbene species bearing a α-siloxyl group, which could be in situ generated from acylsilanes catalytically under photoirradiation and redox-neutral conditions. The side-arm modified bisoxazoline (SaBox) ligands prove to be crucial for this coupling reaction, which provides the corresponding alkynyl alcohol in high yields with remarkable heterocycle tolerance and broad substrate scope.     

Diastereoselective alkylation and reduction of β-alkoxyacylsilanes: stereoselective construction of three contiguous stereogenic centers

The nucleophilic addition reaction to acylsilanes, having stereogenic centers at the α and β positions, derived from the aldol reaction of dimethyl acetals and acylsilane silyl enol ethers gives the corresponding α-silylalcohols in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivity. The protiodesilylation of α-silylalcohols proceeds with complete retention of the configuration. In addition, the reduction of acylsilanes having stereogenic centers at the α and β positions affords the corresponding α-silylalcohols in good yields with high diastereoselectivity similarly to the nucleophilic addition. And the treatment of acylsilanes having a phenyl group on silicon atom with fluoride ion results in the formation of phenyl carbinol derivatives via migration of the phenyl group with high diastereoselectivity.     

Reaction of silyldihalomethyllithiums with nitriles: formation of alpha-keto acylsilanes via azirines and 1,3-rearrangement of silyl group from C to N

A synthesis of alpha-keto acylsilanes, where 2-bromo-2H-azirine participates as a key intermediate, is reported. The reaction of silyldibromomethyllithium with aryl nitriles provides alpha-keto acylsilanes in good yields. Interestingly, silyldichloromethyllithium induces aza-1,3-Brook rearrangement of the silyl group in th reaction with nitriles. The rearrangement enables a three-component coupling reaction in a one-pot operation.     

Towards bis(acylsilanes) and cyclic unsaturated acylsilanes via metathesis: an exploratory study

New acyl(allyl)- and acyl(vinyl)silanes have been synthesized in order to explore cross metathesis or ring-closing metathesis as a new way towards bis(acyl)silanes or unsaturated cyclic acylsilanes, respectively. Metathesis from acylsilanes did not work but their precursors, in particular in benzotriazol series, proved to be good candidates. Two new benzotriazolyl substituted silacyclic compounds (tetrahydrosiline and dihydrosilol) were thus prepared by RCM. Their conversion into the corresponding acylsilane failed. In contrast, the preparation of a bis(acylsilane) bearing the silicon atoms in internal position was achieved by a two-step sequence: cross metathesis of an allyl(dimethylsilyl) benzotriazolyl intermediate-hydrolysis.     

Reaction of acylsilanes with α-sulfinyl carbanions: regioselective synthesis of silyl enol ethers

The reaction of acylsilanes with α-sulfinyl carbanions such as α-lithioalkyl sulfoxide is described. The reaction proceeds to give silyl enol ethers preferentially through the initial formation of the α-silyl alkoxide intermediates. In particular, the products derived from enolizable acylsilanes were the regio-defined silyl enol ethers that cannot be obtained by usual enolization of the corresponding unsymmetrical ketones with base.     

Chiral Acylsilanes in Organic Synthesis. Part 2. The role of the solvent,the organometallic reagent,and the nature of the substrate for the diastereoselectivity of 1,2-additions to racemic alkoxymethyl-substituted acylsilanes

The role of the solvent, the organometallic reagent, and the nature of the substrate for the diastereoselectivity of 1,2-additions to racemic alkoxymethyl-substituted acylsilanes was investigated with the acylsilanes 1a–d by variation of the reaction parameters. The results obtained in this study support strongly the previously proposed preferred ‘chelate-controlled’ reaction path followed under several reaction conditions: highest stereoselectivities were obtained with the best chelating substrates reacting with the most Lewis-acidic organometallic reagents in the least donating solvents. It is shown that almost complete stereoselectivity can be obtained using optimal reaction conditions.     

The reaction of allenylsilanes with α,β-unsaturated acylsilanes: new annulation approaches to five and six-membered carbocyclic compounds

The reaction of α,β-unsaturated acylsilanes with allenylsilanes can be directed to produce either five or six-membered carbocyclic compounds.     

A new strategy for construction of eight-membered carbocycles by Brook rearrangement mediated [6 + 2] annulation

[reaction: see text] A newly developed strategy for construction of eight-membered carbocycles via [6 + 2] annulation that involves the combination of beta-alkenoyl acylsilanes and a vinyllithium derivative is described. A unique feature of this annulative approach is that it enables in one operation and a stereoselective manner construction of eight-membered ring systems containing useful functionalities for further synthetic elaboration from readily available six- and two-carbon components.     

Efficient synthesis of acylsilanes using morpholine amides

[reaction: see text] A general synthesis of acylsilanes from the corresponding morpholine amides and silyllithium species is described. The use of morpholine amides is economical and prevents over-addition by the silyl nucleophile. The procedure cleanly affords acylsilanes in good yields and circumvents the use of stoichiometric copper(I) cyanide typically employed to synthesize these compounds from acid chlorides.     

Ring-fused cyclobutanes via cycloisomerization of alkylidenecyclopropane acylsilanes

A novel Lewis acid-catalyzed cycloisomerization of alkylidenecyclopropane acylsilanes is disclosed. The readily available starting materials participate in tandem Prins addition/ring expansion/1,2-silyl shift to grant access to bicyclo[4.2.0]octanes and bicyclo[3.2.0]heptanes, which are common motifs in terpenoid natural products. Notably, the transformation relies on the ability of acylsilanes to act sequentially as acceptors and donors on the same carbon atom.

A novel Lewis acid-catalyzed cycloisomerization of alkylidenecyclopropane acylsilanes is disclosed that involves tandem Prins addition/ring expansion/1,2-silyl shift to grant access to bicyclo[4.2.0]octanes and bicyclo[3.2.0]heptanes.     

Synthesis and Rearrangement of Silylated Oxy-Cope Systems

Addition of allyl or vinyl organometallic reagents to chiral a,b\alpha,\beta- or b,g\beta,\gamma -unsaturated acylsilanes afforded stereoselectively 3-silylated 3-hydroxy-1,5-dienes that are stereoselectively converted to d,e\delta,\varepsilon-unsaturated acylsilanes by the thermal oxy-Cope rearrangement. The rearrangement is restricted to compounds possessing an (alkoxy)methyl substituent at the silicon moiety; upon heating, analogous compounds with the t-BuMe₂_2Si group in the 3-position led to decomposition only. The (alkoxy)methyl group at silicon is supposed to act as a weak internal base, which accelerates the rearrangment reaction.     

Asymmetric synthesis of cis-2-aminocyclopropanols by intramolecular Mannich addition of silyloxy benzyl carbanions

An efficient, highly diastereoselective method for the preparation of protected cis-2-aminocyclopropanols from N-tert-butanesulfinyl ketimines and various aryl acylsilanes is described. A tandem process for carbon-carbon bond formation via nucleophilic addition to acylsilanes, Brook rearrangement, and intramolecular Mannich reaction has been developed.     

Synthesis of silyl aziridines and alpha-amino acylsilanes with silyldibromomethyllithium

The reaction of silyldibromomethyllithium with aromatic imines provides alpha-amino acylsilanes via a bromo aziridine intermediate upon quenching the reaction with water. Alternatively, treatment of the bromo aziridine intermediate with various Grignard reagents or lithium aluminum hydride permits the nucleophilic displacement of the halogen to furnish substituted silyl aziridines.     

Oxidation of gem-borylsilylalkylcoppers to acylsilanes with air

[reaction: see text] 1-Boryl-1-silylalkylcoppers react with molecular oxygen in the presence of pyridine to afford acylsilanes efficiently. The one-pot process consists of two reactions: alkylation of 1-boryl-1-chloro-silylmethyllithium with Grignard reagents in the presence of copper(I) cyanide and aerobic oxidation of the alkylcopper species. This procedure enables us to access the divergent synthesis of acylsilanes.     

Evaluation of C-trialkylsilyl enol and thioenol ethers as intermediates in the synthesis of acylsilanes

C-silyl enol ethers or thioenol ethers have been prepared by a Peterson reaction, as intermediates for acylsilane synthesis. Bis(trialkylsilyl)(methoxy)- or -(methylsulfanyl)methanes bearing identical or different trialkylsilyl groups were used as starting materials in order to assess the selectivity of the Peterson elimination step. A good selectivity was observed only with ethers bearing the TMS and TBDMS groups. However, there is no practical interest to use such reagents owing to the difficulty to obtain them in correct yields. Bis(trimethylsilyl)(methylsulfanyl)methane proved to be a good reagent for the preparation of C-silyl thioenol ethers, which are hydrolyzed under classical acid conditions to give acylsilanes in fair overall yields. This convenient procedure was extended to the synthesis of bis(acylsilanes).     

Acylsilanes from the pyrolysis of silyl esters of α-ketoacids

The pyrolyses of silyl esters of pyruvic acid and phenylglyoxylic acid gave rise to acylsilanes in high yield. An intramolecular rearrangement involving an intermediate siloxycarbene is proposed to account for the reaction.     

Photochemically promoted transition metal-free cross-coupling of acylsilanes with organoboronic esters

Intermolecular carbon-carbon bond formation between acylsilanes and organoboronic esters was achieved by photoirradiation under almost neutral, transition metal-free conditions. In this reaction, siloxycarbenes generated by photoisomerization of acylsilanes reacted with boronic esters to give the formal B-C bond insertion intermediates, which underwent unique rearrangement to afford the cyclic α-alkoxyboronic esters. Acidic treatment of the resulting crude products under air furnished the cross-coupled ketones in good yields.     

An unusual dianion equivalent from acylsilanes for the synthesis of substituted beta-keto esters

The reaction of lithiated diazo esters with acylsilanes generates a remarkable intermediate en route to highly substituted beta-keto esters.     

Enantioselective cyanation/Brook rearrangement/C-acylation reactions of acylsilanes catalyzed by chiral metal alkoxides

New catalytic enantioselective cyanation/1,2-Brook rearrangement/C-acylation reactions of acylsilanes (4) with cyanoformate esters (7) are described. The products of the reaction are fully substituted malonic acid derivatives (8). Catalysts for this transformation were discovered via a directed candidate screen of 96 metal-ligand complexes. Optimization of a (salen)aluminum complex revealed significant remote electronic effects and concentration effects. The scope of the reaction was investigated by using a number of aryl acylsilanes and cyanoformate esters. Chemoselective reduction of the reaction products (8) afforded new enantioenriched alpha-hydroxy-alpha-aryl-beta-amino acid derivatives (32-34) and beta-lactams (35 and 36). This reaction provides a simple method for the construction of new nitrogen-containing enantioenriched chiral building blocks.