An Efficient C-Si/C-H Cross-Coupling Reaction Enabled by a Radical Pathway.

The methods for the cross-coupling of aryl(trialkyl)silanes are long-standing challenges due to the extreme inertness of C-Si(R3) bond, though the reaction is environmentally friendly and highly regioselective to synthesize biaryls. Herein, we report a copper-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl(trialkyl)silanes and aryl via a radical mechanism. The reaction proceeds efficiently with aryl sulfonium salts as limiting reagents, exhibits broad substrate scope, and provides an important synthetic strategy to acquire biaryls, exemplified by unsymmetrical fluorescence probes and late-stage functionalization of drugs. Of note, the experimental and theoretical mechanistic studies revealed a radical mechanism where the copper catalyst and CsF play critical roles on the radical generation and desilylation process.

Methods of Formation of Protective Inhibited Polymer Films on Tungsten.

A comparative study of anticorrosive inhibited polymer films on the tungsten surface formed from an aqueous solution of inhibited formulations (INFOR) containing organosilane and corrosion inhibitors was carried out by means of the prolonged exposure of a tungsten product in a modifying solution and by the method of cataphoretic deposition (CPD). Depending on the method of forming films on tungsten, the molecular organization of the near-surface layers was studied (ATR-FTIR), and the subprimary structure of the films was explored (TEM). The optimal modes of cataphoresis deposition (CPD duration and current density applied to the sample) for the formation of a protective inhibited polymer film on the tungsten surface were established by means of SEM. The energy and thermochemical characteristics (sessile drop and DSC methods), as well as operational (adhesive behavior) and protective filming ability (EIS and corrosion behavior), according to the method of formation of inhibited polymer film, were determined. Based on the combined characteristics of the films obtained by the two methods and the deposition modes, the CPD method showed better performance than the electroless dipping method.

Catalytic ipso-Nitration of Organosilanes Enabled by Electrophilic N-Nitrosaccharin Reagent.

Nitroaromatic compounds represent one of the essential classes of molecules that are widely used as feedstock for the synthesis of intermediates, the preparation of nitro-derived pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials on both laboratory and industrial scales. We herein disclose the efficient, mild, and catalytic ipso-nitration of organotrimethylsilanes, enabled by an electrophilic N-nitrosaccharin reagent and allows chemoselective nitration under mild reaction conditions, while exhibiting remarkable substrate generality and functional group compatibility. Additionally, the reaction conditions proved to be orthogonal to other common functionalities, allowing programming of molecular complexity via successive transformations or late-stage nitration. Detailed mechanistic investigation by experimental and computational approaches strongly supported a classical electrophilic aromatic substitution (SE Ar) mechanism, which was found to proceed through a highly ordered transition state.

Barium Titanate Functionalization with Organosilanes: Effect on Particle Compatibility and Permittivity in Nanocomposites.

Barium titanate (BT) recently gained new interest in the preparation of dielectric and piezoelectric lead-free materials for applications in sensors, electronics, energy harvesting and storage fields. Barium titanate nanocomposites can achieve attractive performance, provided that the compatibility between ceramic particles and polymeric matrices is enhanced to the benefit of the physical properties of the final composite. Tuning the particle-matrix interface through particle functionalization represents a viable solution. In this work, surface functionalization of BT nanoparticles (NPs), obtained by hydrothermal synthesis, with 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 2-[(acetoxy(polyethyleneoxy)propyl]triethoxysilane and triethoxysilylpropoxy(polyethyleneoxy)dodecanoate, was performed after optimizing the hydroxylation process of the NPs to improve their surface reactivity and increase the yield of grafting. Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance and thermogravimetric analysis were used to quantify the molecules grafted onto the ceramic nanoparticles. Both bare and functionalized particles were employed in the realization of epoxy- and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based nanocomposites. Functionalization was proven to be beneficial for particle dispersibility and effective for particle alignment in the PDMS matrix. Moreover, the dielectric constant measurements revealed the potential of PDMS-based nanocomposites for applications in the field of dielectric elastomers.

Nickel-Catalyzed Reductive C(sp2 )-Si Coupling of Chlorohydrosilanes via Si-Cl Cleavage.

We report here a new method for the synthesis of organohydrosilanes from phenols and ketones. This method is established through reductive C-Si coupling of chlorohydrosilanes via unconventional Si-Cl cleavage. The reaction offers access to aryl- and alkenylhydrosilanes with a scope that is complementary to those of the established methods. Electron-rich, electron-poor, and ortho-/meta-/para-substituted (hetero)aryl electrophiles, as well as cyclic and acyclic alkenyl electrophiles, were coupled successfully. Functionalities, including Grignard-sensitive groups (e.g., primary amine, amide, phenol, ketone, ester, and free indole), acid-sensitive groups (e.g., ketal and THP protection), alkyl-Cl, pyridine, furan, thiophene, Ar-Bpin, and Ar-SiMe3 , were tolerated. Gram-scale reaction, incorporation of -Si(H)R2 into complex biologically active molecules, and derivatization of formed organohydrosilanes are demonstrated.

Diastereoselective Transfer of Tri(di)fluoroacetylsilanes-Derived Carbenes to Alkenes.

Stereoselective cyclopropanation reaction of alkenes is usually achieved by metal complexes via singlet-metal-carbene intermediates. However, previous transition-metal-catalyzed cyclopropanation of alkenes with acylsilanes afforded low diastereoselectivity. Herein, we report the first visible-light-induced transition-metal-free cyclopropanation reaction of terminal alkenes with trifluoroacetylsilanes and difluoroacetylsilanes. Both aromatic and aliphatic alkenes as well as electron-deficient alkenes are suitable substrates for the highly cis-selective [2+1] cyclization reaction. A combination of experimental and computational studies identified triplet carbenes as being key intermediates in this transformation. The gram scale reaction and late-stage functionalization demonstrated the synthetic potential of this strategy.

Synthesis of Si-Stereogenic Silanols by Catalytic Asymmetric Hydrolytic Oxidation.

Despite growing progress in the construction of chiral organosilicon compounds, the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of silicon-stereogenic silanols is less explored and remains a considerable challenge. Herein, we report the first enantioselective construction of silicon-stereogenic silanols by the catalytic asymmetric hydrolytic oxidation of dihydrosilanes. This practical procedure features ambient reaction conditions, high atom economy, good functional-group compatibility, and H2 as the only by-product, and produces a wide range of valuable chiral silanols and bis-silanols in decent yields with excellent chemo- and stereoselectivity.

Silicon Catalyzed C-O Bond Ring Closing Metathesis of Polyethers.

The Lewis superacid bis(perchlorocatecholato)silane catalyzes C-O bond metathesis of alkyl ethers with an efficiency outperforming all earlier reported systems. Chemoselective ring contractions of macrocyclic crown ethers enable substrate-specific transformations, and an unprecedented ring-closing metathesis of polyethylene glycols allows polymer-selective degradation. Quantum chemical computations scrutinize a high Lewis acidity paired with a simultaneous low propensity for polydentate substrate binding as critical for successful catalysis. Based on these mechanistic insights, a second-generation class of silicon Lewis superacid with enhanced efficacy is identified and demonstrated.

A Copper(I)-Catalyzed Sulfonylative Hiyama Cross-Coupling.

An air-tolerant Cu-catalyzed sulfonylative Hiyama cross-coupling reaction enabling the formation of diaryl sulfones is described. Starting from aryl silanes, DABSO and aryliodides, the reaction tolerates a large variety of polar functional groups (amines, ketones, esters, aldehydes). Control experiments coupled with DFT calculations shed light on the mechanism, characterized by the formation of a Cu(I)-sulfinate intermediate via fast insertion of a SO2 molecule.

Solvent-free synthesis of enantioenriched ß-silyl nitroalkanes under organocatalytic conditions.

An enantioselective 1,4-conjugate addition of nitromethane to ß-silyl α,ß-unsaturated carbonyl compounds catalyzed by bifunctional squaramide catalysts has been developed. This methodology offers both enantiomers of ß-silyl nitroalkanes in good to excellent yields (up to 92%) and enantioselectivities (up to 97.5% ee) under solvent-free conditions at room temperature. Control experiments reveal that the presence of a ß-silyl group in the enones is crucial for high reactivity under the optimized reaction conditions.

Cross-Electrophile C(sp2 )-Si Coupling of Vinyl Chlorosilanes.

The cross-electrophile coupling has become a powerful tool for C-C bond formation, but its potential for forging the C-Si bond remains unexplored. Here we report a cross-electrophile Csp2 -Si coupling reaction of vinyl/aryl electrophiles with vinyl chlorosilanes. This new protocol offers an approach for facile and precise synthesis of organosilanes with high molecular diversity and complexity from readily available materials. The reaction proceeds under mild and non-basic conditions, demonstrating a high step economy, broad substrate scope, wide functionality tolerance, and easy scalability. The synthetic utility of the method is shown by its efficient accessing of silicon bioisosteres, the design of new BCB-monomers, and studies on the Hiyama cross-coupling of vinylsilane products.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Silicon-Stereogenic Silanes by Copper-Catalyzed Desymmetrizing Protoboration of Vinylsilanes.

The catalytic asymmetric creation of silanes with silicon stereocenters is a long-sought but underdeveloped topic, and only a handful of examples have been reported. Moreover, the construction of chiral silanes containing (more than) two stereocenters is a more arduous task and remains unexploited. We herein report an unprecedented copper-catalyzed desymmetrizing protoboration of divinyl-substituted silanes with bis(pinacolato)diboron (B2 pin2 ). This method enables the facile preparation of an array of enantiomerically enriched boronate-substituted organosilanes bearing contiguous silicon and carbon stereocenters with exclusive regioselectivity and generally excellent diastereo- and enantioselectivity.

Synthesis of Aromatic Sulfones from SO2 and Organosilanes Under Metal-free Conditions.

The conversion of SO2 into arylsulfones under metal-free conditions was achieved for the first time by reacting SO2 with (hetero)arylsilanes and alkylhalides in the presence of a fluoride source. The mechanism of this transformation was elucidated based on DFT calculations, which highlight the influence of SO2 in promoting C-Si bond cleavage.

Photoinduced Charge Separation in Molecular Silicon.

Interest in molecular silicon semiconductors arises from the properties shared with bulk silicon like earth abundance and the unique architectures accessible from a structure distinctly different than rigid π-conjugated organic semiconductors. We report ultrafast spectroscopic evidence for direct, photoinduced charge separation in molecular silicon semiconductors that supports the viability of molecular silicon as donor materials in optoelectronic devices. The materials in this study are σ-π hybrids, in which electron-deficient aromatic acceptors flank a σ-conjugated silicon chain. Transient absorption and femtosecond-stimulated Raman spectroscopy (FSRS) techniques revealed signatures consistent with direct, optical charge transfer from the silane chain to the acceptor; these signatures were only observed by probing excited-state structure. Our findings suggest new opportunities for controlling charge separation in molecular electronics.

Retro-Brook Rearrangement of Ferrocene-Derived Silyl Ethers.

An intramolecular Li-Si exchange was observed on various lithiated ferrocenylbenzyl silyl ethers. The thermodynamically more stable C-silylated isomers were isolated in good yields and fully characterized. The reaction mechanism of the [1,4] retro-Brook rearrangement was investigated by DFT calculations. Two distinct reaction routes were proposed and a possible stabilization effect of the ferrocenyl fragment on the C-silylated isomers was described. The diastereoselective rearrangement of the trimethylsilyl group to the ortho position of the ferrocenyl cyclopentadienyl ring was also accomplished and the absolute configuration of the product was determined.

Oxidation of organosilanes with nanoporous copper as a sustainable non-noble-metal catalyst.

Although many noble-metal catalysts have been used for the oxidation of organosilanes, there has been less success with non-noble-metal catalysts. Here, unsupported nanoporous copper (np-Cu) is used to catalyze the oxidation of organosilanes under mild conditions. It is the first time that this reaction has been achieved with a heterogeneous copper catalyst with high activity and selectivity. Both water and alcohols are used as oxidants and the corresponding organosilanols and organosilyl ethers are obtained in high yield. The possible mechanism was obtained by kinetic studies. The catalyst could be reused at least five times without evident loss of activity. As a novel green catalyst np-Cu should play a unique role in organic synthesis.

Modification of Bacterial Cellulose with Organosilanes to Improve Attachment and Spreading of Human Fibroblasts.

Bacterial Cellulose (BC) synthesized by Acetobacter xylinum has been a promising candidate for medical applications. Modifying BC to possess the properties needed for specific applications has been reported. In this study, BCs functionalized by organosilanes were hypothesized to improve the attachment and spreading of Normal Human Dermal Fibroblast (NHDF). The BC gels obtained from biosynthesis were dried by either ambient-air drying or freeze drying. The surfaces of those dried BCs were chemically modified by grafting methyl terminated octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) or amine terminated 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to expectedly increase hydrophobic or electrostatic interactions with NHDF cells, respectively. NHDF cells improved their attachment and spreading on the majority of APTES-modified BCs (∼70-80% of area coverage by cells) with more rapid growth (∼2.6-2.8× after incubations from 24 to 48h) than on tissue culture polystyrene (∼2×); while the inverse results (< 5% of area coverage and stationary growth) were observed on the OTS-modified BCs. For organosilane modified BCs, the drying method had no effect on in vitro cell attachment/spreading behaviors.

Preparation and Reaction Chemistry of Novel Silicon-Substituted 1,3-Dienes.

2-Silicon-substituted 1,3-dienes containing non transferrable groups known to promote transmetallation were prepared by Grignard chemistry and enyne metathesis. These dienes participated in one pot metathesis/Diels-Alder reactions in regio- and diastereoselective fashions. Electron-rich alkenes showed the fastest rates in metathesis reactions, and ethylene, a commonly used metathesis promoter slowed enyne metathesis. 2-Pyridyldimethylsilyl and 2-thienyldimethylsilyl substituted Diels-Alder cycloadducts participated in cross-coupling chemistry and the 2-thienyldimethylsilyl substituted cycloadducts underwent cross-coupling under very mild reaction conditions.

Asymmetric conjugate addition of Grignard reagents to 3-silyl unsaturated esters for the facile preparation of enantioenriched ß-silylcarbonyl compounds and allylic silanes.

A highly enantioselective conjugate addition of Grignard reagents to 3-silyl unsaturated esters to deliver synthetically useful chiral ß-silylcarbonyl compounds was developed. The synthetic value of this methodology was further illustrated by the synthesis of enantioenriched ß-hydroxyl esters and the facile access granted to various α-chiral allylic silanes. A plethora of diastereoselective transformations of ß-silylenolates were also investigated and afforded manifold organosilanes that contained contiguous stereogenic centers with excellent enantioselectivity.

Electrophilic alkylations of vinylsilanes: a comparison of α- and ß-silyl effects.

Kinetics of the reactions of benzhydrylium ions (Aryl2CH(+)) with the vinylsilanes H2C=C(CH3)(SiR3), H2C=C(Ph)(SiR3), and (E)-PhCH=CHSiMe3 have been measured photometrically in dichloromethane solution at 20 °C. All reactions follow second-order kinetics, and the second-order rate constants correlate linearly with the electrophilicity parameters E of the benzhydrylium ions, thus allowing us to include vinylsilanes in the benzhydrylium-based nucleophilicity scale. The vinylsilane H2C=C(CH3)(SiMe3), which is attacked by electrophiles at the CH2 group, reacts one order of magnitude faster than propene, indicating that α-silyl-stabilization of the intermediate carbenium ion is significantly weaker than α-methyl stabilization because H2C=C(CH3)2 is 10(3)  times more reactive than propene. trans-ß-(Trimethylsilyl)styrene, which is attacked by electrophiles at the silylated position, is even somewhat less reactive than styrene, showing that the hyperconjugative stabilization of the developing carbocation by the ß-silyl effect is not yet effective in the transition state. As a result, replacement of vinylic hydrogen atoms by SiMe3 groups affect the nucleophilic reactivities of the corresponding C=C bonds only slightly, and vinylsilanes are significantly less nucleophilic than structurally related allylsilanes.