Efficient synthesis of substituted diarylsilanes

A highly efficient synthesis of substituted diarylsilanes is presented. The treatment of substituted arylbromides with tert-bu-tyllithium in diethyl ether at -78 °C, followed by the addition to dichlorodiethoxysilane at the same temperature, leads to the quantitative formation of diaryldiethoxysilane. Selective substitution of the chlorine atoms allows an aqueous work up in air. Subsequently, the diaryldiethoxysilane is reduced to the corresponding diarylsi-lane by stirring with lithium aluminum hydride in diethyl ether. The product is purified by bulb-to-bulb distillation. This method does not lead to any mono- or tri-substituted products and avoids handling gaseous and explosive dichlorosilane, which is a significant advantage over previously reported procedures.