ChemInform Abstract: Generation of (E)-Silylketene Acetals in a Rhodium-DuPHOS Catalyzed Two-Step Reductive Aldol Reaction.

[GRAPHICS] Mechanistic studies employing in situ NMR analysis implicate intermediate silicon enolates as reactive intermediates in the Rh-DuPhos catalyzed two-step reductive aldol reaction with Cl2MeSiH. These enolates undergo noncatalyzed reaction with a variety of aldehydes to give the derived syn-aldol adduct in high yields and diastereoselection.