Non-Ionic Peterson-Type Olefination Reactivity and its Use in a Silicon-Promoted Carbonyl-Carbonyl Cross Coupling Reaction

The [2+2] cycloaddition reaction between the Si=C double bond of adamantylsilene and the carbonyl group of aliphatic, aromatic or acetylenic ketones and aldehydes is demonstrated. The product of this reaction that is central to a non-ionic version of the Peterson olefination is an unusual four-membered 1,2-silaoxetane heterocycle that was characterized spectroscopically and crystallographically. In the presence of SiO2, the silaoxetane undergoes retro-cycloaddition with the formation of alkene products. As the [2+2] cycloaddition proceeds without the necessity of any base, enolizable ketones can be converted into olefins. In addition, it is shown that the adamantylsilene can be produced in situ by a sila-Peterson reaction, providing valuable input for the development of a new one-pot silicon-based reductive carbonyl-carbonyl cross coupling methodology. An unusual [2+2] cycloaddition reaction between the Si=C double bond of a silene and the C=O bond of a variety of carbonyl compounds produces four-membered silaoxetane heterocycles. These intermediates can be characterized, and engage in alkene-forming retro-cycloaddition reactions by the addition of SiO2. Moreover, the silene olefination reagent can be formed in situ, giving rise to a new one-pot silicon-based reductive carbonyl-carbonyl cross coupling methodology. image