N-Heterocyclic carbene-based ruthenium-hydride catalysts for the synthesis of unsymmetrically functionalized double-decker silsesquioxanes

Abstract

Ruthenium–N-heterocyclic carbene complexes with the generic formula [RuHCl(CO)(NHC)(PCy₃)] exhibit a high catalytic activity toward the (E)-selective silylative coupling of divinyl-substituted double-decker silsesquioxanes with two distinctly substituted styrenes. This process leads to a novel class of unsymmetrically functionalized silsesquioxane derivatives.