Palladium-Catalyzed Desymmetrization of Silacyclobutanes with Alkynes: Enantioselective Synthesis of Silicon-Stereogenic 1-Sila-2-cyclohexenes and Mechanistic Considerations

A palladium-catalyzed enantioselective desymmetrization of silacyclobutanes with alkynes has been developed to give silicon-stereogenic 1-sila-2-cyclohexenes with high enantioselectivity. The products thus obtained undergo further derivatizations with complete stereoselectivity, and a new catalytic cycle involving alkyne coordination (oxidative cyclization)-transmetalation (σ-bond metathesis)-reductive elimination has also been proposed.