THE REACTIVITY OF TETRAMESITYLDISILENE WITH EPOXIDES - DEPENDENCE OF PRODUCT DISTRIBUTIONS ON STERIC AND STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE EPOXIDE

Mono- and 1,1-disubstituted epoxides react with tetramesityldisilene ( 1) to give disilyl enol ethers (5) five-membered rings (6) and the pro ducts of epoxide deoxygenation, alkenes and 1,1,2,2-tetramesityl-3-oxa -1,2-disilacyclopropane (4). Adducts 5 and 6 are formed with complete regioselectivity, suggesting involvement of an epoxide ring-opened int ermediate, Product ratios vary systematically with a dependence on the steric properties of the epoxide. Single crystal X-ray diffraction re sults are given for 6a and 6g, the five-membered ring products derived from propylene and cyclohexene oxides.