Blue‐Light Enhanced Iron Catalysed Hydrosilylation of Carboxamides and Carboxylic Esters at Ambient Conditions

Abstract

AbstractWe report herein a blue‐light‐promoted iron‐catalyzed reduction of carboxamides and carboxylic esters. Conducting the reaction under hydrosilylation conditions and blue light (2×24 W, 450–460 nm) in the presence of an iron(0) based pre‐catalyst, Fe(CO)4(IMes), amines and alcohols were obtained, respectively, notably at ambient conditions, whereas using white light, higher reaction temperatures up to 100 °C were required. Preliminary mechanism studies highlighted the crucial role of blue light not only to generate the catalytic active species, but also in some steps of the catalytic cycle.