ThesisAuthors: Calad, Stacie Anne (2006)
Silylene transfer products can undergo stereoselective carbon-carbon bond-forming reactions, including the generation of quaternary carbon stereocenters, which demonstrate their utility in synthetic organic chemistry. Our laboratory has developed a metal-catalyzed method for di-tert-butylsilylene transfer to an alkene, providing silacyclopropane products. This dissertation describes the application of the metal-catalyzed silylene transfer conditions to carbonyl compounds. Metal-catalyzed silylene transfer to a range of a,13-unsaturated esters proved to be a general method for the formation of oxasilacyclopentene products containing a cyclic silyl ketene acetal functionality. These oxasilacyclopentenes are useful synthetic intermediates that can undergo facile and selective aldol add... 
