The B(C6F5)3 catalyzed cross-dehydrocoupling of hydrosilanes with anilines, carbazoles and indoles is reported and provides a metal-free access to silyl-protected amines.
to the corresponding C-silylation in the case that the nitrogen atom of indoles has a substituent. Pyrrole, carbazole, arylamine, and thiophene substrates other than indoles undergo the dehydrogenative N- and/or C-silylation as well. Mechanistic studies showed that the role of the zinc Lewis acid is to activate the hydrosilane. The rate-determining step of the present reaction was found to be involved