Silanediols: a new class of hydrogen bond donor catalysts

Silanediols are introduced as a new class of hydrogen bond donor catalysts for the activation of nitroalkenes toward nucleophilic attack. Excellent yields of product are obtained for the conjugate addition of indole to β-nitrostyrene catalyzed with a stable, storable dinaphthyl-derived silanediol. The preparation and structural characterization of a C(2)-symmetric chiral silanediol is also reported along with its ability to catalyze the conjugate addition reaction.