Flow update for the carbonylation of 1-silyl-substituted organolithiums under CO pressure

Abstract

The generation of, and subsequent reactions with, 1-silyl-substituted organolithiums with CO was carried out using serially connected flow microreactors. The flow system proved to be quite useful for the carbonylation of silyl-substituted organolithiums under slightly pressurized conditions of CO, which was created conveniently by the use of a back-pressure regulator. This flow system, coupled with heating, accelerated the carbonylation reaction of 1-silyl-substituted organolithiums and allowed the stable silyl-substituted alkyllithium, 1,3-disilylallyllithium, which was not effective in a batch-flask reaction under a CO atmosphere, to participate in an efficient carbonylation reaction.