Retro-Mukaiyama aldol reaction-driven silicon catalysis

Abstract

The use of silicon reagents as catalysts has long been an attractive yet challenging goal due to difficulties in silicon catalyst regeneration. Herein, we report a novel silicon-catalyzed formal hydroformylation of alkynes with aldehydes to access α,β-unsaturated ketones with high efficiency under mild conditions. The success of this method relies on an innovative retro-Mukaiyama aldol reaction (RMAR)-driven silyl transfer strategy, which enables efficient regeneration of silicon catalysts. Preliminary mechanistic studies reveal the evolution of key silicon catalysts during this transformation. This protocol provides valuable insights for the design of new chemical transformations based on silicon catalysis.