Novel method for preparing bis(trimethylsilyl)amines via treatment with trimethylsilylamines and methyl iodide

A convenient method for the synthesis of N,N-bis(trimethylsilyl)alkylamines has been reported. N-(Trimethylsilyl)diethylamine incorporated with a stoichiometric amount of methyl iodide was effective to convert primary amines, especially aromatic amines, and their monotrimethylsilyl derivatives into the corresponding N, N-bis(trimethylsilyl)amine derivatives in high yields, In the case of N-trimethylsilyl derivatives of aliphatic primary amines, a half-amount of silylamines served as a silylation agent against another half-amount of silylamines in the presence of 0.5 equivalent of methyl iodide to give N, N-bis(trimethylsilyl)alkylamines in good yield. Allyl iodide, allyl bromide and benzyl bromide were also effective to promote the silylation activity of silylamines.