Reactions of pentafluorophenyltrimethylsilane and cyanomethyltrimethylsilane with carbonyl compounds catalyzed by cyanide anions

Abstract Treatment of pentafluorophenyltrimethylsilane (I) and cyanomethyltrimethylsilane (II) with enolizable ketones in the presence of a catalytic amount of potassium cyanide-18-crown-6 complex gave the corresponding trimethylsilyl enol ethers. The same dehydrogenative silylation of acetylacetone and benzoylacetone with silane I was extended to the preparation of 2,4-bis(trimethylsiloxy)-1,3-pentadiene and 1-phenyl-1,3 -bis(trimethylsiloxy)-1,3-butadiene, respectively. The dehydrogenative silylation of acetylacetone and benzoylacetone with dimethylbis(pentafluorophenyl)silane under the same conditions affords novel heterocyles 5-methylene-2,6-dioxa-1-silacylohex-3-enes. In the reaction studied the silylating ability of the silanes increases in the order Me 3 SiCN ⋍ Me 2 Si(CN) 2 3 SiCH 2 CN 3 SiC 6 F 5 ⋍ Me 2 Si(C 6 F 5 ) 2 . On the other hand, potassium cyanide-18-crown-6 complex catalyzed the addition of silane I or II to a carbonyl group of non-enolizable compounds such as benzaldehyde, crotonaldehyde, and methyl(triethylgermyl)ketene.