The development of aryl alkyl sulfides as dichotomous electrophiles for site-selective silylation via C-S bond cleavage has been achieved. Iron-catalyzed selective cleavage of C(aryl)-S bonds can occur in the presence of β-diketimine ligands, and the cleavage of C(alkyl)-S bonds can be achieved by t-BuONa without the use of transition metals, resulting in the corresponding silylated products in moderate to excellent yields. Mechanistic studies suggest that Fe-Si species may undergo metathesis reactions during the cleavage of C(aryl)-S bonds, while silyl radicals are involved during the cleavage of C(alkyl)-S bonds.
Keywords: C−S Bond Cleavage; High Selectivity; Iron Catalysis; Silylation; Transition Metal Free.
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