Direct Stannylation and Silylation of Arylmethanols by Palladium Catalysis.

A direct transformation of non-preactivated benzyl alcohols to benzyl stannanes and benzyl silanes was realized through Pd-catalyzed C(sp3)-O activation process. By using versatile tin and silicon sources, these reactions exhibit a broad substrate scope and a high efficiency under mild conditions, affording functionalized benzyl and allylic stannanes and benzylsilanes with high yields. The successful implementation of gram-scale stannylation/silylation as well as the one-pot Stille coupling reaction demonstrates the potential application of this method in organic synthesis. Both experimental and theoretical investigations reveal the mechanistic details of this reaction.