Tandem reactions in 4-siloxy-1-benzopyrylium salts: introduction of substituents and cyclohexene and cyclopentane annulation in chromones

The mechanism we propose for the cyclopentane annulation is the following one. The allylic reagent (5D) attacks the siloxypyrylium salts (2a,b) at the C2 position, giving the intermediate carbocation (B) which is stabilized by the trimethylsilyl and the methyl group. Attack by the emerging enolate at C 3 , forms the five-membered ring compound (8a,b). Generally, electrophiles attack allylic silanes anti to the silyl group. Since there is undoubtedly interaction with the silicon in the transition state, the stereochemistry of the bridged intermediate (B) should be trans geometry due to stereoelectronic effect and allylic 1,3-strain. In the reaction of 2a, the favored pathway is cyclization. However, competition between cyclization and desilylation was observed in 2b due to steric hindrance between the two methyl groups at the step of cyclization