Dearomatic silylation of arene derivatives is an intriguing
synthetic
target, which represents an elegant extension of Birch reduction and
produces silylated cyclohexene derivatives with great potential of
further transformation. Herein, we report a systematic study on dearomatic
silylation of aryl carbonyl compounds with Mg and the TMSCl/NMP adduct.
The protocol displays a wide range of substrate scope, including alkyl
aryl ketones, aromatic amides, benzonitriles, tert-butyl benzoates, and even 2,2′-bipyridines. Synthetic utility
is demonstrated using the products as versatile substrate in various
transformations. The detailed mechanism is presented with both control
experimental analyses and theoretical calculations. An unusual five-coordinated
silicon dianion intermediate is first proposed and described here.
The selectivity is influenced by the relative rates of single electron
reductions (the TMSCl/NMP adduct versus the substrate) and the steric
effects.