Reaction mixtures for silvlating arene substrates and methods of using such reaction mixtures to silyiate the arene substrates are provided. Exemplary reaction mixtures include the arene substrate, a liganded metal catalyst, a hydrogen acceptor and an organic solvent. The reaction conditions allow for diverse substituents on the arene substrate.
A method for the iridium-catalyzed silylation of aryl C-H bonds is described. The reaction of HSiMe(OSiMe3)(2) with arenes and heteroarenes catalyzed by the combination of [Ir(cod)(OMe)](2) and 2,4,7-trimethylphenanthroline occurs with the aromatic compound as the limiting reagent and with high levels of sterically derived regioselectivity. This new catalytic system occurs with a much higher tolerance for functional groups than the previously reported rhodium-catalyzed silylation of aryl C-H bonds and occurs with a wide range of heteroarenes. The silylarene products are suitable for further transformations, such as oxidation, halogenation, and cross-coupling. Late-stage functionalization of complex pharmaceutical compounds was demonstrated.