Highly substituted
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
,
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
-unsaturated ketones are prepared by the
N-heterocyclic carbene-initiated addition of
![](/images/gifchars/alpha.gif)
-hydroxypropargylsilanes toaldehydes. This strategy serves as a highly efficient alternative to the standard Morita-Baylis-
Hillman (MBH) approaches for these types ofcompounds. In contrast to the MBH reaction, different substitution in the
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
-position of the product (R
1) can be accommodated in moderateto excellent yields with a high degree of control over the resulting alkene.