Cleavage of carbon–silicon bonds by lithium aluminium hydride in tetrahydrofuran

It was shown that many silicon–carbon bonds were readily broken by lithium aluminium hydride in refluxing tetrahydrofuran. The rate of cleavage was dependent upon the nature of the leaving group and of the other groups present on the silicon. Carbon–tin bonds were cleaved more readily than carbon–silicon bonds while carbon–germanium bonds were not cleaved.