Highly selective addition of cyclosilanes to alkynes enabling new conjugated materials
Qifeng Jiang1, Alexandra F Gittens1, Sydnee Wong1
1Department of Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University 3400 N. Charles St Baltimore MD 21218 USA Klausen@jhu.edu.
Abstract:
Main group organometallic compounds can exhibit unusual optical properties arising from hybrid σ,π-conjugation. While linear silanes are extensively studied, the shortage of methods for the controlled synthesis of well-defined cyclic materials has precluded the study of cyclic conjugation. Herein we report that Ru-catalyzed addition of cyclosilanes to aryl acetylenes (hydrosilylation) proceeds with high chemoselectivity, regioselectivity, and diastereoselectivity, affording complex organosilanes that absorb visible light. We further show that the hydrosilylation products are useful building blocks towards novel conjugated polymers.
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