The chloroplatinic acid catalyzed reduction of alkylhalides by organosilicon hydrides has been assumed to proceed through a quasi-free-radical mechanism. This paper presents evidence to support such assumption. Namely, (1) selectivity found in this reduction is comparable with that effected in peroxide catalyzed reductions ; (2) some benzylic halides give the corresponding reductive coupling products (3) the characteristic color of diphenylpicrylhydrazyl in triethylsilane fades rapidly in the presence of chloroplatinic acid; and (4) the Hammett correlation for the relative rates of substituted chloroform (X-CC13) toward triethylsilane in the presence of chloroplatinic acid gives a ρ* value of +0.28, which essentially agrees with the value of +0. 29 previously found for the reaction of triethylsilyl radicals.
Read full abstract