Improvements of efficiency and regioselectivity in the iridium(I)-catalyzed aromatic C-H silylation of arenes with fluorodisilanes

The aromatic C-H silylation of arenes (10 equiv) with 1,2-di-sec-butyl-1,1,2,2-tetrafluorodisilane was carried out in octane at 120 degrees C in the presence of a catalytic amount of iridium(I) complexes (3.0 mol %) generated from 1/2[Ir(OMe)(COD)](2) and 2,9-diisopropyl-1,10-phenanthroline. The reactions of many arenes resulted in the formation of corresponding arylfluorosilanes in high yields with excellent regioselectivities.