Transfer dehydrogenative coupling of triethylsilane catalysed by ruthenium and rhodium complexes. A new Si–C bond forming process
Abstract
Four-legged piano stool complexes (η6-arene)Ru(H)2(SiEt3)2 and (η5-C5Me5)Rh(H)2(SiEt3)2 catalyse the transfer dehydrogenative coupling of Et3SiH in the presence of a hydrogen acceptor such as tert-butylethylene to yield the carbosilane dimer, HSiEt2CHMeSiEt3, and 2,2-dimethylbutane by a mechanism involving an intermediate η2-silene complex, LnM(Et2SiCHMe), generated by β-hydrogen elimination from a silyl group.