Reactivity of [TismPriBenz]MgMe towards secondary amines and terminal alkynes: Catalytic dehydrocoupling with hydrosilanes to afford Si–N and Si–C bonds

Alpha-metalated N,N-dimethylbenzylamine rare-earth metal complexes and their catalytic applications

This perspective summarizes our group's extensive research in the realm of organometallic lanthanide complexes, while also placing the catalytic reactions supported by these species within the context of known lanthanide catalysis worldwide, with a specific focus on phosphorus-based catalytic reactions such as intermolecular hydrophosphination and hydrophosphinylation. α-Metalated N,N-dimethylbenzylamine ligands have been utilized to generate homoleptic lanthanide complexes, which have subsequently proven to be highly active lanthanum-based catalysts. The main goal of our research program has been to enhance the catalytic efficiency of lanthanum-based complexes, which began with initial successes in the stoichiometric synthesis of organometallic lanthanide complexes and utilization of these species in catalytic hydrophosphination reactions. Not only have these species supported traditional lanthanide catalysis, such as the hydrophosphination of heterocumulenes like carbodiimides, isocyanates, and isothiocyanates, but they have also been effective for a plethora of catalytic reactions tested thus far, including the hydrophosphinylation and hydrophosphorylation of nitriles, hydrophosphination and hydrophosphinylation of alkynes and alkenes, and the heterodehydrocoupling of silanes and amines. Each of these catalytic transformations is meritorious in its own right, offering new synthetic routes to generate organic scaffolds with enhanced functionality while concurrently minimizing both waste generation and energy consumption. Objectives: We aim for the research summary presented herein to inspire and encourage other researchers to investigate f-element based stoichiometric and catalytic reactions. Our efforts in this field began with the recognition that potassium salts of benzyldimethylamine preferred deprotonation at the α-position, rather than the ortho-position, and we wondered if this regiochemistry would be retained in the formation of lanthanide complexes. The pursuit of this simple idea led first to a series of structurally fascinating homoleptic organometallic lanthanide complexes with surprisingly good stability. Fundamental studies of the protonolysis chemistry of these complexes ultimately revealed highly versatile lanthanide-based precatalysts that have propelled a catalytic investigation spanning more than a decade. We anticipate that this summative perspective will animate the synthetic as well as biological communities to consider La(DMBA)3-based catalytic methods in the synthesis of functionalized organic scaffolds as an atom-economic, convenient, and efficient methodology. Ultimately, we envision our work making a positive impact on the advancement of novel chemical transformations and contributing to progress in various fields of science and technology.

Group I Alkoxides and Amylates as Highly Efficient Silicon-Nitrogen Heterodehydrocoupling Precatalysts for the Synthesis of Aminosilanes

Group I alkoxides are highly active precatalysts in the heterodehydrocoupling of silanes and amines to afford aminosilane products. The broadly soluble and commercially available KOt Amyl was utilized as the benchmark precatalyst for this transformation. Challenging substrates such as anilines were found to readily couple primary, secondary, and tertiary silanes in high conversions (>90 %) after only 2 h at 40 °C. Traditionally challenging silanes such as Ph3 SiH were also easily coupled to simple primary and secondary amines under mild conditions, with reactivity that rivals many rare earth and transition-metal catalysts for this transformation. Preliminary evidence suggests the formation of hypercoordinated intermediates, but radicals were detected under catalytic conditions, indicating a mechanism that is rare for Si-N bond formation.

Sustainable preparation of aminosilane monomers, oligomers, and polymers through Si-N dehydrocoupling catalysis

This article covers historical and recent efforts to catalyse the dehydrocoupling of amines and silanes, a direct method for Si-N bond formation that offers hydrogen as a byproduct. In some applications, this transformation can be used as a sustainable replacement for traditional aminosilane synthesis, which demands corrosive chlorosilanes while generating one equivalent of ammonium salt waste for each Si-N bond that is formed. These advantages have driven the development of Si-N dehydrocoupling catalysts that span the periodic table, affording mechanistic insight that has led to advances in efficiency and selectivity. Given the divergence in precursors being used, characterization methods being relied on, and applications being targeted, this article highlights the formation of monomeric aminosilanes separately from oligomeric and polymeric aminosilanes. A recent study that allowed for the manganese catalysed synthesis of perhydropolysilazane and commercial chemical vapor deposition precursors is featured, and key opportunities for advancing the field of Si-N dehydrocoupling catalysis are discussed.

Organocalcium-Complex-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Silylation and Mono/Dihydrosilylation Tandem Reactions of Terminal Alkynes

In principle, catalytic dehydrogenative silylation and mono/dihydrosilylation tandem reactions of terminal alkynes with hydrosilanes provide gem-disilylated alkenes or gem-trisilylated alkanes, but very little progress has been made. Herein, we report organocalcium-complex-catalyzed dehydrogenative silylation and mono/dihydrosilylation tandem reactions of terminal alkynes with hydrosilanes in one pot, which produce gem-disilylated alkenes in moderate yields and gem-trisilylated alkanes in high yields. We also briefly demonstrate that the synthesized gem-disilylated alkenes can be easily transformed into other organosilanes.

Calcium-catalysed synthesis of amines through imine hydrosilylation: an experimental and theoretical study

A method to reduce aldimines through hydrosilylation is reported. The catalytic system involves calcium triflimide (Ca(NTf₂)₂) and potassium hexafluorophosphate (KPF₆) which have been shown to act in a synergistic manner. The expected amines are obtained in fair to very high yields (40-99%) under mild conditions (room temperature in most cases). To illustrate the potential of this method, a bioactive molecule with antifungal properties was prepared on the gram scale and in high yield in environmentally friendly 2-methyltetrahydrofuran. Moreover, it is shown in this example that the imine can be prepared in situ from the aldehyde and the amine without isolating the imine. The mechanism involved has been explored experimentally and through DFT calculations, and the results are in accordance with an electrophilic activation of the silane by the calcium catalyst.

Recent advances in catalytic pnictogen bond forming reactions via dehydrocoupling and hydrofunctionalization

An examination of several catalytic reactions among the group 15 elements is presented. The connections between the chemistry of the pnictogens can sometimes be challenging, but aspects of metal-pnictogen reactivity are the key. The connecting reactivity comes from metal-catalyzed transformations such as dehydrocoupling and hydrofunctionalization. Pivotal mechanistic insights from E-N heterodehydrocoupling have informed the development of highly active catalysts for these reactions. Metal-amido nucleophilicity is often at the core of this reactivity, which diverges from phosphine and arsine dehydrocoupling. Nucleophilicity connects to the earliest understanding of hydrophosphination catalysis, but more recent catalysts are leveraging enhanced insertion activity through photolysis. This photocatalysis extends to hydroarsination, which may also have more metal-arsenido nucleophilicity than anticipated. However, metal-catalyzed arsinidene chemistry foreshadowed related phosphinidene chemistry by years. This examination shows the potential for greater influence of individual discoveries and understanding to leverage new advances between these elements, and it also suggests that the chemistry of heavier elements may have more influence on what is possible with lighter elements.

Silicon-nitrogen bond formation via dealkynative coupling of amines with bis(trimethylsilyl)acetylene mediated by KHMDS

The catalytic synthesis of silylamines mediated by s- and p-block catalysts is largely underdeveloped. Herein, commercially available potassium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide serves as an efficient alternative to transition metal complexes. N-H/Si-C dealkynative coupling was achieved by means of user-friendly main-group catalysis with ample substrate scope and high chemoselectivity.

N-Silylamines in catalysis: synthesis and reactivity

A summary of the catalytic synthesis and reactivity of N-silylated amines is presented. Dehydrocoupling of amines with silanes, hydrosilylation of imines and dealkenylative coupling of amines with vinylsilanes are three ways to achieve their catalytic syntheses. The resultant N-silylamines serve as substrates in a variety of reactions, including C-N and C-C bond forming reactions, and are preferred in transformations because of the facile Si-N hydrolytic cleavage to reveal free amine products upon reaction completion. This review highlights the distinct electronic properties of N-silyl amines, N-silyl imines and N-silyl enamines that result in complementary reactivity to that of parent non-silyl variants.

Synthesis, characterisation and reactivity of group 2 complexes with a thiopyridyl scorpionate ligand

Herein we report the reactivity of the proligand tris(2-pyridylthio)methane (HTptm) with various Alkaline Earth (AE) reagents: (1) dialkylmagnesium reagents and (2) AE bis-amides (AE = Mg-Ba). Heteroleptic complexes of general formulae [Mg(Tptm)(R)] (R = Me, ⁿBu; Tptm = {C(S-C₅H₄N)₃}^-) and [AE(Tptm)(N'')] (AE = Mg-Ba; N'' = {N(SiMe₃)₂}^-) were targeted from the reaction of HTptm with R₂Mg or [AE(N'')₂]₂. Reaction of the proligand with dialkylmagnesium reagents led to formation of [{Mg(κ³C,N,N-C{Bu}{S-C₅H₄N}₂)(μ-S-C₅H₄N)}₂] (1) and [{Mg(κ³C,N,N-C{Me}{S-C₅H₄N}₂)(μ-OSiMe₃)}₂] (2) respectively, as a result of a novel transfer of an alkyl group onto the methanide carbon with concomitant C-S bond cleavage. However, reactivity of bis-amide precursors for Mg and Ca did afford the target species [AE(Tptm)(N'')] (3-AE; AE = Mg-Ca), although these proved susceptible to ligand degradation processes. DFT calculations show that alkyl transfer in the putative [Mg(Tptm)(ⁿBu)] (1m') system and amide transfer in 3-Ca is a facile process that induces C-S bond cleavage in the Tptm ligand. 3-Mg and 3-Ca were also tested as catalysts for the hydrophosphination of selected alkenes and alkynes, including the first example of mono-hydrophosphination of 4-ethynylpyridine which was achieved with high conversions and excellent regio- and stereochemical control.

Molecular Main Group Metal Hydrides

This review serves to document advances in the synthesis, versatile bonding, and reactivity of molecular main group metal hydrides within Groups 1, 2, and 12-16. Particular attention will be given to the emerging use of said hydrides in the rapidly expanding field of Main Group element-mediated catalysis. While this review is comprehensive in nature, focus will be given to research appearing in the open literature since 2001.

Silicon-Nitrogen Bond Formation via Heterodehydrocoupling and Catalytic N-Silylation

Silicon-nitrogen bond formation is an important subfield in main group chemistry, and catalysis is an attractive route for efficient, selective formation of these bonds. Indeed, heterodehydrocoupling and N-silylation offer facile methods for the synthesis of small molecules through the coupling of primary, secondary, and tertiary silanes with N-containing substrates such as amines, carbazoles, indoles, and pyrroles. However, the reactivity of these catalytic systems is far from uniform, and critical issues are often encountered with product selectivity, conversions, substrate scope, catalyst activation, and in some instances, competing side reactions. Herein, a catalogue of catalysts and their reactivity for Si-N heterodehydrocoupling and N-silylation are reported.