Base-catalyzed addition of silylacetylenes to ketones: a route to protected tertiary propargyl alcohols†

The base-catalyzed addition of alkynylsilanes to ketone derivatives enables the formation of various silyl-protected propargylic alcohols. Commercially available and inexpensive potassium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (KHMDS) serves as an efficient transition metal-free catalyst and permits the functionalization of a variety of derivatives, including pharmaceuticals and biorelevant compounds. Overall, the presented system complements classical routes to protected tertiary propargylic alcohols that mainly rely on stoichiometric processes or fluoride-mediated reactions.