Sakurai reaction

The Sakurai reaction (also known as the Hosomi–Sakurai reaction) is the chemical reaction of carbon electrophiles (such as a ketone shown here) with allyltrimethylsilane catalyzed by strong Lewis acids. The reaction achieves results similar to the addition of an allyl Grignard reagent to the carbonyl.



Strong Lewis acids such as titanium tetrachloride, boron trifluoride, tin tetrachloride, and AlCl(Et)2 are all effective in promoting the Hosomi reaction. The reaction involves electrophilic allyl shift via a beta-silyl carbocationic intermediate, the beta-silicon effect.

Mechanism
Allylation of a carbonyl ketone (compound containing a ketone group and two different functional groups) has been shown. In the given reaction, the electrophilic compound (carbon with a ketone group) is treated with titanium tetrachloride, a strong Lewis acid and allyltrimethylsilane. According to the general principle, the Lewis acid first activates the electrophilic carbon in presence of allyltrimethylsilane which then undergoes nucleophilic attack from electrons on the allylic silane. The silicon plays the key role in stabilizing the carbocation of carbon at the β-position. Hosomi-Sakurai reaction is also applicable for other functional groups such as enones, where conjugate addition is usually seen. In figure 2, the Hosomi- Sakurai reaction has been shown using a cinnamoyl ketone. This reaction follows the same mechanism as the previous reaction shown here.

As displayed in the scheme, the Hosomi–Sakurai reaction is proposed to give a secondary carbocation intermediate. Secondary carbocations are high in energy, however it is stabilized by the silicon substituent ("β-silicon effect", a form of silicon-hyperconjugation).