University of Chicago, Department of Chemistry, 5735 South Ellis Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
We have described the first [2 + 2] cycloadditions of siloxy alkynes with a range of unsaturated carbonyl compounds. The reactions are efficiently promoted by substoichiometric amount of silver trifluoromethanesulfonimide and display excellent regio- and diastereoselectivity combined with a broad substrate scope. Our studies have established unambiguously the stepwise mechanism of this process and provided evidence for a novel role of silver in the catalytic cycle of the reaction, which involves silver-based complexation and activation of siloxy alkyne toward the subsequent 1,4-addition.