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09:37
Imine Metathesis by Silica-Supported Catalysts Using the Methodology of Surface Organometallic Chemistry
Published on: October 18, 2019
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Elusive silane-alane complex [Si-H⋅⋅⋅Al]: isolation, characterization, and multifaceted frustrated Lewis pair type
Jiawei Chen1, Eugene Y-X Chen2
1Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1872 (USA).
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|April 25, 2015
Summary
Superacidic aluminum tris(pentafluorophenyl) enabled isolation of a silane-alane complex. This complex acts as a catalyst for various transformations, showing advantages over silane-borane systems in catalysis.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Catalysis
- Materials Science
Background:
- Frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) are crucial in activating small molecules.
- Silane-borane adducts are well-studied FLP systems.
- Elusive silane-alane complexes have been difficult to isolate and characterize.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize a novel silane-alane complex.
- To investigate the catalytic activity of this silane-alane complex.
- To compare the catalytic performance of silane-alane systems with silane-borane systems.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of unsolvated aluminum tris(pentafluorophenyl) [Al(C6F5)3].
- Isolation and structural characterization of the silane-alane complex [Si-H⋅⋅⋅Al] using spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction.
- Evaluation of catalytic activity in four distinct chemical transformations.
Main Results:
- The superacidic nature of Al(C6F5)3 facilitated the isolation of the [Si-H⋅⋅⋅Al] complex.
- The complex exhibits Janus-like behavior and potent silane activation.
- Demonstrated multifaceted frustrated-Lewis-pair-type catalysis.
- Outperformed silane-borane systems in ligand redistribution, alkene polymerization, alkene hydrosilylation, and fluoroalkane hydrodefluorination.
Conclusions:
- The silane-alane complex is a stable, isolable species with significant catalytic potential.
- This system offers unique advantages over traditional silane-borane FLPs.
- Highlights the utility of superacidic Lewis acids in stabilizing reactive adducts for catalysis.
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