Chemoselective Hydrogenation of α,β-Unsaturated Anilides Catalyzed by Palladium-Hydrosilane System.

We report chemoselective hydrogenation of α,β-unsaturated anilides catalyzed by the palladium-polymethylhydrosiloxane (hydrosilane) system. Under this condition, C-C double bonds are selectively reduced while other reducible groups such as acetyl groups, nitro groups, nitriles, benzyl ethers, and halogens are largely tolerated. This chemoselective hydrogenation is promising for the development of efficient synthetic routes for multi-functional compounds.