Tris(oxazolinyl)boratomagnesium-catalyzed cross-dehydrocoupling of organosilanes with amines, hydrazine, and ammonia

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja207641b

We report magnesium-catalyzed cross-dehydrocoupling of Si-H and N-H bonds to give Si-N bonds and H₂. A number of silazanes are accessible using this method, as well as silylamines from NH₃ and silylhydrazines from N₂H₄. Kinetic studies of the overall catalytic cycle and a stoichiometric Si-N bond-forming reaction suggest nucleophilic attack by a magnesium amide as the turnover-limiting step.