Synthesis of multi-substituted furan rings: the role of silicon

Silanes have proven extremely useful for the synthesis of multi-substituted furan rings. Their judicious placement on a furan ring can be used to control either the placement of new groups around the furan ring or the silane can be directly replaced via an ipso-substitution. This paper will briefly review the role silicon has played in the preparation of furan rings having a variety of substituent patterns.