Dehydrogenative coupling of alcohols and carboxylic acids with hydrosilanes catalyzed by a salen-Mn(V) complex

A Mn(V)-salen complex was found to be an effective catalyst for the dehydrogenative coupling of hydroxyl groups with hydrosilane. The reaction conditions were optimized with different silanes and efficient dehydrogenative coupling was achieved by using triethoxysilane and diphenylsilane. Various alcohols and phenols and a limited number of carboxylic acids were converted into the corresponding silyl ethers and silyl esters. A range of functional groups such as chloro, nitro, methoxy, carbonyl and carbon-carbon multiple bonds are tolerated in the reaction.