3‑Substituted-1-(Trimethylsilylmethyl)cyclobutyl Cations: Stereochemistry of Solvent Capture of β‑Trimethylsilyl Carbocations

3-tert-Butyl- or phenyl-substituted-1-(trimethylsilylmethyl)cyclobutyl trifluoroacetates react in methanol via β-trimethylsilyl carbocationic intermediates formed from loss of trifluoroacetate ion. These cationic intermediates react to give a significant amount of methyl ether substitution products along with the expected alkene elimination products. Different methyl ether substitution products are formed from isomeric trifluoroacetates, and complete retention of configuration of the ether group relative to the starting trifluoroacetates is observed. The proposed origin of this retention is the involvement of two different β-trimethylsilyl carbocation intermediates that form while utilizing backside participation of the trimethylsilyl group. Computational studies have located three classical 1-(trimethylsilylmethyl)cyclobutyl carbocation energy minima. Two of these cations have a significant barrier (13–16 kcal/mol) to interconversion. It is proposed that methanol can capture each of these cations from different sides, leading to isomeric methyl ether products. A third energy minimum, formed by cyclobutane ring inversion, is thought to be unimportant in determining the stereochemistry of the methyl ether substitution products.