mation of the secondary alcohol 6c would be consistent with a transition state, as in 10, again resembling a structure leading to the more stable carbenium ion 12a. In this situation, however, the more stable carbenium ion site is the primary carbon, because the positive charge can be stabilized by carbon-silicon -bond hyperconjugation (12b).19Experimental Section General Procedures. All steps in the preparation, transfer, and main reactions of the organometallic reagents studied here were conducted under an atmosphere of anhydrous and oxygen-free argon. All solvents and apparatus were likewise freed of traces of dissolved or adsorbed moisture and oxygen and then maintained under argon. Methods and techniques for working under anhydrous and anaerobic conditions and for conducting standard chromatographic and spectrometric analyses have been described previously.20Starting Materials and Products. Diisobutylaluminum hydride and triisobutylaluminum were obtained as neat reagents from Texas Alkyls Inc., Deer Park, TX. Diisobutylaluminum sec-butoxide was generated in situ by the cautious treatment of i-Bu2AlH in heptane with 1 equiv of sec-butyl alcohol.1,2-Epoxydecane and styrene oxide were commercially available and (epoxyethyl)triphenylsilane was prepared from the epoxidation of triphenylvinylsilane with m-chloroperbenzoic acid.21The reaction products 1-decanol, 2-decanol, 1-phenyl-l-ethanol, and 2-phenyl-l-ethanol were purchased, while the l-(triphenylsilyl)-l-ethanol and 2-(triphenylsilyl)-l-ethanol were synthesized by known procedures.22 (19) Any electrophilic attack on 5c, such as where E = MeAlCl2, is known to favor formation of the carbenium ion ß to silicon jse.