Construction of Silicon-Containing Seven-Membered Rings by Catalytic 4 + 2 + 1 Cycloaddition through Rhodium Silylenoid

A rhodium-catalyzed 4 + 2 + 1 cycloaddition involving 1,3-diene, alkyne, and silylene to afford silicon-containing seven-membered rings was established. In the presence of a rhodium catalyst bearing bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (DPPM), nona-1,3-dien-8-yne derivatives reacted efficiently at 80-110 °C with boryl(isopropoxy)silane or boryl(diethyamino)silane, which reacts as the synthetic equivalent of silylene, to afford 1-silacyclohepta-2,5-dienes (2,5-dihydro-1H-silepines). Regiodivergent and chemo- and stereoselective functionalization of the seven-membered nonconjugated diene was achieved by hydroboration mediated by Cs2CO3 or an iridium catalyst.