Rare-Earth-Catalyzed Selective 1,4-Hydrosilylation of Branched 1,3-Enynes Giving Tetrasubstituted Silylallenes

Allenes are versatile synthons in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry because of their diverse reactivities. Catalytic 1,4-hydrosilylation of 1,3-enynes may present the straightforward strategy for synthesis of silylallenes. However, the transition-metal-catalyzed reaction has not been successful due to poor selectivity and very limited substrate scopes. We report here the efficient and selective 1,4-hydrosilylation of branched 1,3-enynes enabled by the ene-diamido rare-earth ate catalysts using both alkyl and aryl hydrosilanes, leading to the exclusive formation of tetrasubstituted silylallenes. Deuteration reaction, kinetic study, and DFT calculations were conducted to investigate the possible mechanism, revealing crucial roles of high Lewis acidity, large ionic radius, and ate structure of the rare-earth catalysts.