Hydrosilylation of nitriles and tertiary amides using a zinc precursor.

We report a competent and selective hydrosilylation of nitriles and tertiary amides catalyzed by the readily available zinc bis(hexamethyldisilazide) under solvent-free and mild conditions, making it a sustainable and desirable alternative to existing methods. Both protocols afforded high conversion, superior selectivity, and a broad substrate scope, from electron-withdrawing to electron-donating and heterocyclic substitutions.

Amidophosphine Boranes as Hydroboration Reagents for Nitriles, Alkynes, and Carboxylic Acids.

We report here the hydroboration of nitriles, alkynes, and carboxylic acids using amidophosphine boranes {(BH3)(PPh2)-NC(CH3)3}, {(BH3)2(PPh)2N(CH2)C6H5}, and {(BH3)2(PPh2)2N-(BH3)CH2C6H4N} as reducing agents. These compounds were synthesized to replace more commonly used borane reagents. Solid amidophosphine boranes, which were synthesized with ease, demonstrated excellent reactivity and functional group tolerance toward a wide variety of nitriles, alkynes, and carboxylic acids, affording the corresponding ammonium salts, alkenes, and alcohols in good yield.