Organosilicon compounds with functional groups proximate to silicon. XVII. Synthetic and mechanistic aspects of the lithiation of α,β-epoxyalkylsilanes and related α-heterosubstituted epoxides

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(88)89085-5

A series of α-heterosubstituted epoxides, , has been found to undergo lithiation in the temperature range of -75 to -115 deg C at the C-H bond of the epoxide.The substituent Z could be Me3Si, Ph3Si, n-Bu3Sn, Ph3Sn, PhSO2, (OEt)2PO and Ph; the groups R and R' were H, Ph and n-C6H13; and the lithiating reagents were n-butyllithium, t-butyllithium and lithium diisopropylamide in donor media of THF or TMEDA.The lithiation occurs with retention of configuration and the resulting lithio-epoxide is unstable above 0 deg C, decomposing in a carbenoid manner.The lithiation is facile except for compounds where Z and R (an alkyl or aryl) are cis-oriented; where Z = R3Sn, lithiation occurs by tin-lithium, rather than hydrogen-lithium, exchange.The lithio-epoxides thereby generated can be quenched with various reagents to yield epoxides where the epoxide H has been replaced by D, Me3Sn, R, RCO and COOH.The utility of this procedure in organic synthesis is emphasized.Finally, the possible explanations for the acidity of such α-heterosubstituted epoxides and for the relative stability of the derived lithio-epoxides are considered and assessed.