Catalytic Selective Metal-Free Cross-Coupling of Heteroaromatic N-Oxides with Organosilanes

A metal-free, regioselective C-H functionalization of heteroaromatic N-oxides has been developed. The method enables the synthesis of various benzylated and alkynylated N-heterocycles in a transition-metal-free manner employing organosilanes as coupling partners. The unanticipated reactivity has been exploited for the synthesis of a number of symmetrical disubstituted acetylenes from ethynyltrimethylsilane via carbon-silicon bond metathesis.