Cross-Dehydrocoupling of Amines and Silanes Catalyzed by Magnesocenophanes

The application of
C[1]­magnesocenophanes in dehydrocoupling catalysis
is reported. Two new cycloalkylidene-bridged C[1]­magnesocenophanes
were synthesized and structurally characterized. These C[1]­magnesocenophanes
were used as catalysts in amine–borane dehydrocoupling and,
more extensively, in amine–silane cross-dehydrocoupling. The
substrate scope, involving different aliphatic, aromatic, and benzylic
amines, was probed and the mechanism of this cross-dehydrocoupling
catalysis was investigated.