• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.229-236
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• 2003

Butenolides are prepared from cyclobutenediones when cyclobutenediones are treated with lithium trimethylsilylacetylene, and quenched with water. A plausible mechanism, which contains an allene as an intermediate, is proposed. The usual diradical intermediate may not be formed because of the bulkiness of trimethylsilyl group, and the allenic intermediate may be stabilized by the ${\alpha}$-silyl group.