Ruthenium-Catalyzed Dehydrogenative Aromatic C-H Silylation of Benzamides with Hydrosilanes

The ruthenium-catalyzed dehydrogenative silylation of benzamides with 1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptamethyltrisiloxane took place at ortho-positions of the benzene ring. Several benzamides containing both electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups could be used in this silylation. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and kinetic isotope effect experiments suggest that the catalytic cycle should involve the C-Si bond formation as rate-determining step.