Synthesis of 1-acetyl-2-silyoxycycloheptane derivatives via highly stereoselective formal [5+2] cycloaddition reaction

A stereoselective [5+2] cycloaddition reaction using a new five-carbon unit, that has a dicobalt acetylene complex moiety and an enol silyl ether moiety, was developed. In the presence of a Lewis acid, the five-carbon unit reacted with an enol triisopropylsilyl ether to give a 1-acetyl-2-silyoxycycloheptane derivative, in which the three contiguous substituents on the seven-membered ring arrange cis to each other.