500 μm diameter beads as single reactors to screen organometallic catalysts: discovery of a new supported catalyst for the hydrosilylation of ketones

Abstract

A library of aminophosphine-phosphinite ligands was prepared in the form of 500 μm beads, each single cross-linked polystyrene bead supporting only one type of ligand. After reaction with a rhodium complex, the library was evaluated for the hydrosilylation of acetophenone. This study demonstrated that results obtained by the standard Schlenck technique are reproducible at the single 500 μm diameter bead level. Moreover, the screening of this “catalysts on beads” library led to discovery of a new supported and easily recoverable catalyst, derived from the amino alcohol H₂NCH₂CH₂OCH₂CH₂OH.