Nickel-catalyzed reductive cleavage of aryl-oxygen bonds in alkoxy- and pivaloxyarenes using hydrosilanes as a mild reducing agent.

A nickel-catalyzed reductive deoxygenation of aryl alkyl ethers and aryl pivalates has been developed. Hydrosilanes serve as a mild reducing agent. The present protocol allows the use of a pivalate group as a robust and traceless steering group in arene functionalization reactions.