Phenylsilane - Uses

Uses

Phenylsilane can be used to reduce tertiary phosphine oxides to the corresponding tertiary phosphine.

P(CH₃)₃O + PhSiH₃ --> P(CH₃)₃ + PhSiH₂OH

The use of phenylsilane proceeds with retention of configuration at the phosphine. For example, cyclic chiral tertiary phosphine oxides can be reduced to cyclic tertiary phosphines.

Phenylsilane can also be combined with cesium fluoride. In aprotic solvents, it becomes a nonnucleophilic hydride donor. Specifically, phenylsilane-caesium fluoride has been shown to reduce 4-oxazolium salts to 4-oxazolines. This reduction gives yields of 95%.