Selective catalytic monoreduction of dichlorooligosilanes with Grignard reagents

Transition metal-catalyzed monoreduction of dichlorooligosilanes with Grignard reagents is reported. Among the examined catalysts, group 4 metal chlorides such as TiCl₄ and Cp₂TiCl₂ gave the highest reactivity and good selectivity. The reducing power is effectively controlled by changing the catalysts and Grignard reagents to achieve sufficient selectivity depending on the oligosilane substrates.