• In the presence of KF or CsF, reduces aldehydes and ketones to alcohols (via the silyl ether): Tetrahedron, 37, 2165 (1981). With CsF, enones can be reduced selectively to allylic alcohols in high yield: Tetrahedron., 39, 999 (1983).
• Versatile hydrosilylating agent. For use in combination with Ti(O-i-Pr) 4 in a catalytic system for reduction of esters to alcohols, see: J. Org. Chem ., 57, 3751 (1992). CAUTION! Highly pyrophoric SiH 4 can form in this reaction: J. Org. Chem., 57, 3221 (1993).
• The same system effects the otherwise difficult reduction of phosphine oxides to phosphines. The products may be reacted in situ with alkyl halides to give a convenient one-pot conversion of phosphine oxides to phosphonium salts: Tetrahedron Lett., 35, 625 (1994).
• Pd(0)-catalyzed silylation of aryl iodides provides a route to aryl triethoxysilanes: J. Org. Chem., 62, 8569 (1997).