Dual Si-H effects in platinum-catalyzed silane reduction of carboxamides leading to a practical synthetic process of tertiary-amines involving self-encapsulation of the catalyst species into the insoluble silicone resin formed

Combination of commercially available platinum catalysts with siloxanes containing more than two Si-H groups is found to be an efficient catalyst system for the reduction of carboxamides to amines. In particular, facile removal of silicon and platinum residues from the product can be achieved by the use of polymethylhydrosiloxanes as reducing reagents. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.