Functionalized Cyclopentenes via the Formal [4+1] Cycloaddition of Photogenerated Siloxycarbenes from Acyl Silanes

This work describes the first formal cycloaddition reaction of photogenerated nucleophilic carbenes derived from acylsilanes with electrophilic dienes. The resulting transient donor–acceptor cyclopropane rearranges to its stable and highly functionalized cyclopentene isomer in an unprecedented metal-free process. The cyclopropanation–vinyl cyclopropane rearrangement sequence was corroborated by computational calculations. The cyclopropane formation corresponds to a higher energetic barrier, and the vinylcyclopropane–cyclopentene rearrangement proceeds through different mechanisms, although of comparable energies, depending on the stereochemistry of the cyclopropane.