Blue Light-Promoted O–H Insertions of Silanols and Functionalization of Silicon Nanomaterials

We report the conversion of the silanol O-H bond through a blue light-promoted insertion strategy using diazo compounds. Various silyl ethers can be accessed in excellent yields (up to 90%) and rapid reaction times under mild conditions and operationally simple manipulations. Good functional group tolerance and compatibility are observed across a range of silanols and diazo compounds, allowing for the efficient chemoselective synthesis of a diverse set of silyl ethers. We further applied this O-H insertion strategy to siloxanols for the synthesis of functionalized silsesquioxane (POSS) nanomaterials.