A new, highly selective, free-radical aerobic oxidation of silanes to silanols catalysed by N-hydroxyphthalimide under mild conditions

Silanes are oxidised to silanols by molecular oxygen, under N-hydroxyphthalimide and Co(II) catalysis, under very mild conditions and in good yields and selectivily. The reaction proceeds through the superimposition of a redox chain to a free-radical chain reaction.