High yield synthesis of cyclic phosphites, phosphates, sulphites and sulphates of catechol and glycol mediated by hypervalent silicon centres

Room temperature reactions of both tris(catecholato)silicate, M2[Si(o-C6H4O2)3] {M=Na, Et3NH} and glycolato silicate, K2[Si2(O2C2H4)5] with PCl3, POCl3, SOCl2 and SO2Cl2 proceed exothermally and afford easy isolation of the corresponding cyclic derivatives of catechol/glycol (1-8) in high yield, exemplifying the merit of hypervalent silicon centres in synthesis. (Et3NH)2[Si(o-C6H4O2)3] afford near quantitative conversions.