Brønsted Acid Catalyzed Synthesis of Functionalized 1,4- and 1,6-Dicarbonyl Monosilyl Enol Ethers under Operationally Practical Conditions

Herein, we report an improved protocol for the concise synthesis of functionalized 1,4- and 1,6-dicarbonyl-derived monosilyl enol ethers via ionization of α′-hydroxy silyl enol ethers to generate unsymmetrical silyloxyallyl cations that were subsequently captured by TBS silyl enolates. These transformations were efficiently performed in acetonitrile at room temperature by employing pyridinium triflate as a catalyst. Our new reaction conditions are operationally more practical and broaden the accessibility of various 1,4- and 1,6-dicarbonyl groups, which include diketone, ketoester, and ketothioester functionalities.