Facile ring-opening of THF at a lithium center induced by a pendant Si–H bond and BPh3

The macrocyclic polyamine 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane [LH = (Me3TACD)H] formed adducts with tetramethyl-silazides [M{N(SiHMe2)2}] (M = Li, Na, K) of light alkali metals. Upon heating, intramolecular dehydrocoupling occurred to give [M{(L)SiMe2N(SiHMe2)}]. BPh3 induced facile ring-opening of THF when reacted with [Li{(L)SiMe2N(SiHMe2)}].