New silanimine and NSiHM agostic complexes for coupling

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New silanimine and NSiHM agostic complexes for
coupling with petroleum derived products
Georgii I. Nikonov, Department of Chemistry,
Brock University
Free silanimines are so highly reactive species
that when coordinated to transition metals they
still maintain a lot of their original
reactivity. Because free silanimnes are highly
unstable, their few known metal complexes were
prepared by a multistage pathway, which hampers
further development of this field to synthesis
and catalysis. Our research is focused on the
generation of reactive silanimine complexes by
the direct coupling of imido complexes with
silanes.

• The final goal is to achieve a catalytic
  tri-component coupling of amines, silanes, and
  petroleum derived unsaturated organic products
  that would be mediated by transition metal
  complexes in a regio- and sterioselective manner.
• Our main accomplishments include
• Coupling of two silane molecules with an imido
  complex affords the new agostic complex
  (ArN)(ArN-SiHPh-H...)Mo(SiH2Ph)(PMe3) (1), which
  exists in equilibrium with the silanimine complex
  (ArN)(ArN-SiHPh)Mo(PMe3) (2).
• Complex 1 catalyzes a variety of silane
  reactions, including hydrosilylation of
  carbonyls, silane alcoholysis, and the first
  example of a selective hydrosilylation of
  nitriles.
• Stoichiometric reactions of 1 with organic
  substrates afford products of Si-C coupling

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