The proposal describes the development of functional group tolerant silacyclopropanation and intramolecular carbonyl insertion into silacyclopropanes. Metal-catalyzed silylene transfer to alkenes is an effective route to the synthesis of silacyclopropanes, however further investigation into the functional group tolerance of this reaction is needed. Once optimized, silylene transfer to an alkene with a carbonyl functionality would result in formation of a silacyclopropane capable of undergoing an intramolecular insertion of the carbonyl. Intramolecular insertion reactions have the potential to form new stereoselective carbon-carbon bonds, rings systems, and tertiary alcohols, which can simplify chemical conversions in the synthesis of molecules such as natural products of biological importance.
