High yield synthesis of cyclic phosphites, phosphates, sulphites and sulphates of catechol and glycol mediated by hypervalent silicon centres

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(97)01020-4

Room temperature reactions of both tris(catecholato)silicate, M₂[Si(o-C₆H₄O₂)₃] {M=Na, Et₃NH} and glycolato silicate, K₂[Si₂(O₂C₂H₄)₅] with PCl₃, POCl₃, SOCl₂ and SO₂Cl₂ proceed exothermally and afford easy isolation of the corresponding cyclic derivatives of catechol/glycol (1-8) in high yield, exemplifying the merit of hypervalent silicon centres in synthesis. (Et₃NH)₂[Si(o-C₆H₄O₂)₃] afford near quantitative conversions.