Fischer carbenes are typically synthesized by addition of pyrophoric reagents to toxic metal carbonyls. Now access to α-siloxycarbenes from thioesters has been reported via reductive silylation of cobalt acyls, providing a platform to harness carbene reactivity from carboxylates via metal acyls and allowing several new reactions occur, including heterodimerization to acyloin-type products.
- Lingran Kong
- Kevin Zong
- Ryan Shenvi
