Large‐scale preparation and labelling reactions of deuterated silanes

Abstract

A catalytic synthesis of deuterated silanes SiEt 3 D, SiMe 2 PhD and SiPh 2 D 2 is reported that allows their facile generation in a 3–4 g scale, utilizing D 2 (0.5 bar) as the hydrogen isotope source and low catalyst loadings (0.01 mol%). The catalyst precursor is the rhodium (III) complex 1, which contains a (η 5 ‐C 5 Me 5 )Rh cation stabilized by coordination to a cyclometallated phoshine PMeXyl 2 (Xyl = 2,6‐C 6 H 3 Me 2 ). The same complex is also an active catalyst for the hydrosilylation of the CO and C≡N bonds of various ketones, aldehydes and α , β ‐unsaturated nitriles. Hence, combination of these two properties permits development of a simple and proficient one‐flask, two‐step procedure for the deuterosilylation of these substrates. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.