Photochemically promoted transition metal-free cross-coupling of acylsilanes with organoboronic esters.

Intermolecular carbon-carbon bond formation between acylsilanes and organoboronic esters was achieved by photoirradiation under almost neutral, transition metal-free conditions. In this reaction, siloxycarbenes generated by photoisomerization of acylsilanes reacted with boronic esters to give the formal B-C bond insertion intermediates, which underwent unique rearrangement to afford the cyclic α-alkoxyboronic esters. Acidic treatment of the resulting crude products under air furnished the cross-coupled ketones in good yields.