Highly efficient and chemoselective reduction of sulfoxides using the system silane/oxo-rhenium complexes

This work reports a novel method for the reduction of sulfoxides with silanes catalyzed by high valent oxo-rhenium(V) and (VII) complexes. The catalytic system PhSiH3/ReIO2(PPh3)(2) (1 mol %) proved to be highly efficient for the reduction of a wide range of sulfoxides in excellent yields under mild conditions. This novel methodology is also highly chemoselective, tolerating several functional groups such as -CHO, -CO2R, -Cl, -NO2, and double or triple bonds. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.