Efficient cyanosilylation of carbonyls using a well-defined dimeric sodium complex

We present the synthesis and structural characterization of a novel dimeric sodium complex with the chemical composition [{Ph₂Si(H)PhN}Na(THF)₂]₂ (Na-1) supported by N,1,1-triphenylsilanamine fragment. The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of complex Na-1 in the solid state reveals the coordination of sodium ion with N and O atoms of the triphenylsilanamine unit, forming a four-membered ring. The sodium complex also demonstrates excellent activity as a pre-catalyst towards the cyanosilylation of a wide array of ketones with trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN) to afford trimethylsilyloxypropanenitriles in excellent yield (up to 99 %) in a shorter time under mild and solvent-free reaction conditions and exhibits a greater tolerance to a variety of ketones bearing electron-withdrawing and electron-donating functional groups. The plausible mechanism of cyanosilylation of ketones catalyzed by the complex Na-1 is also proposed.