Facile cyclometallation of a mesitylsilylene: synthesis and preliminary catalytic activity of iridium(iii) and iridium(v) iridasilacyclopentenes

Abstract

Reactions of the mesityl-amidinato-silylene Si(^tBu₂bzam)Mes (1; ^tBu₂bzam = N,N′-bis(tert-butyl)benzamidinato; Mes = mesityl) with three different iridium precursors led, at room temperature, to two iridium(III) and one iridium(V) complexes featuring one (Ir^III) or two (Ir^V) cyclometallated silylene ligands. The iridium(III) complexes are active catalyst precursors for H/D exchange and dehydrogenative borylation of arene C–H bonds.