Serendipitous metal-catalyzed H-H/Si-H exchange

Abstract

Various metal complexes catalyze exchange between H-2 and hydrosilanes. Catalyst screening suggests that the electron deficiency of the metal center is necessary for exchange, but silane and/or hydrogen addition or sigma-bond metathesis with the M-Si and M-H bonds are not required. Kinetic measurements for the system [(ArN=)Mo(PMe3)(3)(H)(SiH2Ph)/H-2/H3SiPh] (Ar = 2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3)) suggest that the reaction proceeds through activation of the silane