Palladium-catalyzed rearrangement of silanes containing oxygen or halogen α to silicon

Rearrangements of tetrahydrofuryl- and tetrahydropyranyl-hydrosilanes to oxasilaalkanes, of acetoxymethyl-hydrosilanes to acetoxysilanes, and halogenomethyl-hydrosilanes to halogenosilanes in the presence of palladium catalyst have been studied. The reaction has been shown to proceed more rapidly in tetrahydrofuran and hexane than in benzene or acetonitrile. The progressive replacement of the methyl groups on the silicon atom by phenyl groups slowed down the rearrangement, as did change from five-membered to six-membered heterocycles.