RESUMO
The mechanism of the oxidation of arylsilanes to phenols has been investigated using 19F NMR spectroscopy. The formation of silanols in these reactions results from a rapid background equilibrium between silanol and alkoxysilane; the relative rates of reaction of these species was evaluated by modeling of concentration profiles obtained through 19F NMR spectroscopic reaction monitoring. Combining these results with a study of initial rates of phenol formation, and of substituent electronic effects, a mechanistic picture involving rapid and reversible formation of a pentavalent peroxide ate complex, prior to rate-limiting aryl migration, has evolved.
RESUMO
Rapid, efficient methods have been developed to prepare phenols from the oxidation of arylhydrosilanes. The effects of arene substituents and fluoride promoters on this process show that while electron-deficient arenes can undergo direct oxidation from the hydrosilane, electron-rich aromatics benefit from silane activation via oxidation to the methoxysilane using homogeneous or heterogeneous transition metal catalysis. The combination of these two oxidations into a streamlined flow procedure involving minimal processing of reaction intermediates is also reported.
