Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026

In Situ SIMS and IR Spectroscopy of Well-defined Surfaces Prepared by Soft Landing of Mass-selected Ions
Published on: June 16, 2014
Direct evidence for intermolecular oxidative addition of σ(Si-Si) bonds to gold
Maximilian Joost1, Pauline Gualco, Yannick Coppel
1Laboratoire Hétérochimie Fondamentale et Appliquée, Université Paul Sabatier/CNRS UMR 5069, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse Cedex 09 (France) http://hfa.ups-tlse.fr/LBPB/index_lbpb.htm.
Abstract:
Oxidative addition plays a major role in transition-metal catalysis, but this elementary step remains very elusive in gold chemistry. It is now revealed that in the presence of GaCl3, phosphine gold chlorides promote the oxidative addition of disilanes at low temperature. The ensuing bis(silyl) gold(III) complexes were characterized by quantitative (31)P and (29)Si NMR spectroscopy. Their structures (distorted Y shape) and the reaction profile of σ(Si-Si) bond activation were analyzed by DFT calculations. These results provide evidence for the intermolecular oxidative addition of σ(Si-Si) bonds to gold and open promising perspectives for the development of new gold-catalyzed redox transformations.
Related Concept Videos
Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide
Oxidation of Alkenes: Anti Dihydroxylation with Peroxy Acids
Cycloaddition Reactions: Overview
Oxidations of Aldehydes and Ketones to Carboxylic Acids
Aldehydes readily undergo oxidation in strong oxidizing agents such as potassium permanganate and chromic acid. The oxidation can also be carried out using mild oxidizing agents such as silver oxide. In fact, aldehydes can be easily oxidized...
Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Potassium Permanganate
Nucleophilic Addition to the Carbonyl Group: General Mechanism
A stronger nucleophile can directly attack the electrophilic center, the carbonyl carbon. The HOMO orbital of the nucleophile interacts with the LUMO (π* antibonding) orbital present on the carbonyl carbon. This interaction breaks the π bond and shifts the...

