A Manganese N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Catalyst for Reduction of Sulfoxides with Silanes

Abstract

Abstract The first reduction of sulfoxides catalysed by a well‐defined manganese complex is described. A variety of sulfoxides are reduced to the corresponding sulfides in high yields using phenylsilane, diphenylsilane, and the economically feasible 1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane (TMDS) as reducing agents in the presence of a Mn‐NHC complex. The reaction is performed under air and without the need of any additive. The involvement of radicals in the catalytic reaction is probed by spin‐trap experiments.