Research Progress of Radical Reactions Involving Silyl Enol Ethers

Due to the unique reactivity of silyl enol ethers, they have been widely employed in organic synthesis. As masked enol, they participate in classical reactions, such as Mukaiyama aldol reactions and Mukaiyama Michael additions, which can construct new C-C bonds. However, the synthesis of complex molecules often requires the utilization of novel and more efficient reaction pathways due to the limitations of ionic reactions. Silyl enol ethers exhibit excellent performance across various reaction systems involved in radical reactions. This article provides a comprehensive research summary of the synthesis of alpha-substituted carbonyl compounds and other functional organic molecules using silyl enol ethers as versatile and efficient reaction precursors which were reported in the past decade. The design of reactions and mechanisms was discussed by researchers under different reaction systems including photocatalysis, metal catalysis, metal-free reactions, and electrocatalysis, as well as the future prospect of this research topic.