Rhodium carbene complexes as versatile catalyst precursors for Si-H bond activation

摘要

Rhodium(III) complexes comprising monoanionic C,C,C-tridentate dicarbene ligands activate Si-H bonds and catalyse the hydrolysis of hydrosilanes to form silanols and siloxanes with concomitant release of H_2. In dry MeNO_2, selective formation of siloxanes takes place, while changing conditions to wet THF produces silanols exclusively. Silyl ethers are formed when ROH is used as substrate, thus providing a mild route towards the protection of alcohols with H_2 as the only by-product. With alkynes, comparably fast hydrosilylation takes place, while carbonyl groups are unaffected. Further expansion of the Si-H bond activation to dihydrosilanes afforded silicones and polysilyl ethers. Mechanistic investigations using deuterated silane revealed deuterium incorporation into the abnormal carbene ligand and thus suggests a ligand-assisted mechanism involving heterolytic Si-H bond cleavage. Ligand-assisted Si-H bond cleavage: Rhodium-catalysed Si-H bond activation provides a methodology for the silyl group to be transferred to oxygen centres, thus providing access to siloxanes and silanols (using H_2O), alkoxysilanes (using ROH) and to polysiloxanes, such as silicones, when using difunctional silanes. The process is pH neutral, avoids sensitive silylating agents and produces H_2 as useful and exclusive side product.