Hydrosilane Reduction of Tertiary Carboxamides by Iron Carbonyl Catalysts

Fox in the carboxamide: Reduction of tertiary carboxamides to their corresponding amines is catalyzed by [Fe(CO)5] or [Fe3(CO)12], using 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisiloxane (TMDS) as the reducing agent. The reaction proceeds under either thermal or photochemical conditions. Unlike the hydrosilane reduction of amides using platinum or ruthenium catalysts, TMDS preferentially reduces a nitro group, even in the presence of competing amides.