New straightforward route for the synthesis of some 1-oxa-2-silacyclopentane derivatives

Tris(dimethylsilyl)methyl lithium, (HSiMe2)3CLi, reacts with allyl, phenyl, benzyl, n‐propyl and n‐butyl glycidyl ethers in THF at ‐5 °C to give 1‐oxa‐2‐silacyclopentane derivatives. It seems that ring closure is facilitated by conversion of the SiH bond into an SiO bond. Glycidyl methacrylate (GM) random copolymers with 4‐methyl‐ and 4‐methoxy styrene, synthesized by solution free radical polymerization at 70 (±1) °C with α,α‐azobis(isobutyronitrile) (AIBN) as initiator, contained pendant epoxide functions. Treatment of these with (HSiMe2)3CLi did not lead to intramolecular nucleophilic attack as found for simple epoxides.