Copper(I)-Catalyzed Disilylation of Alkylidene Malonates Employing a Lewis Base Activation Strategy

Abstract
The disilylation of activated alpha,alpha-unsaturated esters has been accomplished by utilizing symmetrical disilanes and catalytic quantities of copper(I) salts in the presence of Lewis bases such as DMF. This new methodology with various alkylidene malonates is moderate to high yielding and affords alpha-silyl diesters, compounds that previously have not been readily accessible, that can be further manipulated to cleanly afford useful alpha-substituted alpha-hydroxy esters.