Investigation of Transfer Group, Tether Proximity, and Alkene Substitution for Intramolecular Silyloxypyrone-Based [5 + 2] Cycloadditions

Systematic investigation of intramolecular silyloxypyrone-based [5 + 2] cycloadditions revealed three significant factors impacting conversion to cycloadduct: (1) the silyl transfer group has a substantial influence on the rate of reaction, and the robust t-butyldiphenylsilyl group was found to be more effective overall than the conventional t-butyldimethylsilyl group; (2) α,β-unsaturated esters were generally more reactive than terminal olefins and afforded appreciable quantity of cycloadduct even at room temperature; and (3) the proximity of the tether to the silyl transfer group revealed a critical alignment trend between the pyrone and the alkene. Taken together, these investigations provided insight regarding the steric and electronic parameters that impact the scope and limitation of these reactions.