Highly selective α-hydrogermylation of alkynes catalyzed by an in situ generated bulky NHC-cobalt complex.

A new catalytic system, based on an octacarbonyl dicobalt(0) complex and bulky ligand, providing a route to α-vinylgermanes is described. The proposed method can be effectively used for Markovnikov-selective hydrogermylation of a number of terminal and internal alkynes. It has been proved that analogous catalytic systems containing less sterically demanding ligands cannot serve as selective catalysts in this transformation.

Metal-free synthesis of unsymmetric bis(thioesters).

The first metal-free protocol for efficient synthesis of unsymmetric bis(thioesters) via functionalization of dithiols with two different α,ß-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The methodology described leads to a novel class of dithiol-based building blocks.

Solvent-free hydroboration of alkynes catalyzed by an NHC-cobalt complex.

A new cobalt complex bearing a bulky N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand is described as a pre-catalyst for alkyne hydroboration. The proposed catalytic system, synthesized using easily accessible reagents, allowed obtaining a series of mono- and dialkenylboranes in solvent-free conditions with excellent efficiency and selectivity. The results have been compared to those obtained in the presence of the same cobalt complex containing smaller NHC ligands and those achieved for the catalytic system based on a CoCl2 - NHC precursor.

Rhodium catalysts with superbulky NHC ligands for the selective α-hydrothiolation of alkynes.

Eight rhodium complexes-including four new compounds-with the generic formula [RhCl(cod)(NHC)] (cod is 1,3-cyclooctadiene) differing by the size of their N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand were prepared, characterized, and found to be catalytically active in the hydrothiolation of terminal alkynes with aliphatic or aromatic thiols. The steric bulk of the carbene was found to markedly influence the reaction rate and selectivity. In particular, superbulky NHCs led to the almost quantitative formation of the sole α-vinyl sulfide products. The experimental conditions were optimized to allow the straightforward synthesis of a broad range of mono- and disubstituted α-adducts starting from terminal alkynes (18 examples) and thiols (5 examples). Altogether, the procedure devised in this study provides an easy access to α-vinyl sulfides with full atom economy and a low catalyst loading.

Application of Bulky NHC-Rhodium Complexes in Efficient S-Si and S-S Bond Forming Reactions.

The efficient and straightforward syntheses of silylthioethers and disulfides are presented. The synthetic methodologies are based on new rhodium complexes containing bulky N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands that turned out to be efficient catalysts in thiol and thiol-silane coupling reactions. These green protocols, which use easily accessible reagents, allow obtaining compounds containing S-Si and S-S bonds in solvent-free conditions. Additionally, preliminary tests on coupling of mono- and octahydro-substituted spherosilicates with selected thiols have proved to be very promising and showed that these catalytic systems can be used for the synthesis of a novel class of functionalized silsesquioxane derivatives.

Polysiloxanes Grafted with Mono(alkenyl)Silsesquioxanes-Particular Concept for Their Connection.

Herein, a facile and efficient synthetic route to unique hybrid materials containing polysiloxanes and mono(alkyl)silsesquioxanes as their pendant modifiers (T8@PS) was demonstrated. The idea of this work was to apply the hydrosilylation reaction as a tool for the efficient and selective attachment of mono(alkenyl)substituted silsesquioxanes (differing in the alkenyl chain length, from -vinyl to -dec-9-enyl and types of inert groups iBu, Ph at the inorganic core) onto two polysiloxanes containing various amount of Si-H units. The synthetic protocol, determined and confirmed by FT-IR in situ and NMR analyses, was optimized to ensure complete Si-H consumption along with the avoidance of side-products. A series of 20 new compounds with high yields and complete ß-addition selectivity was obtained and characterized by spectroscopic methods.

Formation of Bifunctional Octasilsesquioxanes via Silylative Coupling and Cross-Metathesis Reaction.

Bifunctional silsesquioxanes create an attractive group of compounds with a wide range of potential applications, and recently they have gained much interest. They are known to be obtained mainly via hydrosilylation, but we disclose novel synthetic protocols based on different but complementary reactions, i.e., cross-metathesis (CM) and silylative coupling (SC). A series of cubic T8 type silsesquioxane derivatives with a broad scope of styryl substituents were synthesized in a one-pot procedure and characterized by spectroscopic and spectrometric methods. All of the new compounds can be obtained in a one-pot manner, which has an attractive impact on the synthetic procedure, as it is economic in terms of the isolation of intermediate products. Additionally, the methodology disclosed here enables the (E)-stereoselective introduction of styrenes derivative to the cubic T8 type core. The presented compounds can be interesting precursors for a further functionalization that may significantly increase the possibility of their application in the design and synthesis of new functional materials.

Synthetic Routes to Silsesquioxane-Based Systems as Photoactive Materials and Their Precursors.

Over the past two decades, organic optoelectronic materials have been considered very promising. The attractiveness of this group of compounds, regardless of their undisputable application potential, lies in the possibility of their use in the construction of organic⁻inorganic hybrid materials. This class of frameworks also considers nanostructural polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) with "organic coronae" and precisely defined organic architectures between dispersed rigid silica cores. A significant number of papers on the design and development of POSS-based organic optoelectronic as well as photoluminescent (PL) materials have been published recently. In view of the scientific literature abounding with numerous examples of their application (i.e., as OLEDs), the aim of this review is to present efficient synthetic pathways leading to the formation of nanocomposite materials based on silsesquioxane systems that contain organic chromophores of complex nature. A summary of stoichiometric and predominantly catalytic methods for these silsesquioxane-based systems to be applied in the construction of photoactive materials or their precursors is given.

Application of olefin metathesis in the synthesis of functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) and POSS-containing polymeric materials.

This mini-review summarizes the applications of olefin metathesis in synthesis and functionalization of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) and POSS-containing polymeric materials. Three types of processes, i.e., cross metathesis (CM) of vinyl-substituted POSS with terminal olefins, acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) copolymerization of divinyl-substituted POSS with α,ω-dienes and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of POSS-substituted norbornene (or other ROMP susceptible cycloolefins) are discussed. Emphasis was put on the synthetic and catalytic aspects rather than on the properties and applications of synthesized materials.

Synthesis of (E)-1,4-disilsesquioxylsubstituted but-1-en-3-ynes via platinum-catalyzed dimerization of ethynylsiloxysilsesquioxanes.

A new platinum complex bearing bulky N-heterocyclic carbene ligand of the general formula [Pt(IPr*Ph)(dvtms)] (where IPr*Ph = 1,3-bis{2,4,6-tris(diphenylmethyl)phenyl}imidazol-2-ylidene, dvtms = divinyltetramethyldisiloxane) exhibits a high catalytic activity towards E-selective dimerization of ethynyl substituted siloxysilsesquioxanes. This process leads to a novel class of functionalized silsesquioxane derivatives, resembling their dumbbell-shaped silsesquioxane analogues.

N-Heterocyclic carbene-based ruthenium-hydride catalysts for the synthesis of unsymmetrically functionalized double-decker silsesquioxanes.

Ruthenium-N-heterocyclic carbene complexes with the generic formula [RuHCl(CO)(NHC)(PCy3)] exhibit a high catalytic activity toward the (E)-selective silylative coupling of divinyl-substituted double-decker silsesquioxanes with two distinctly substituted styrenes. This process leads to a novel class of unsymmetrically functionalized silsesquioxane derivatives.

The mechanism of activation of amidobenzylidene ruthenium chelates - latent catalysts of olefin metathesis.

Amidobenzylidene ruthenium chelates - latent catalysts of olefin metathesis can be easily activated by the addition of Brønsted or Lewis acids. Their activation in the presence of hydrogen chloride involves the formation of catalytically active trans-dichloro carbamatobenzylidene ruthenium chelates.

New aryloxybenzylidene ruthenium chelates - synthesis, reactivity and catalytic performance in ROMP.

New phenoxybenzylidene ruthenium chelates were synthesised from the second generation Grubbs catalysts bearing a triphenylphosphine ligand (or its para-substituted analogues) by metathesis exchange with substituted 2-vinylphenols. The complexes behave like a latent catalyst and are characterized by an improved catalytic behaviour as compared to that of the known analogues, i.e., they exhibit high catalytic inactivity in their dormant forms and a profound increase in activity after activation with HCl. The strong electronic influence of substituents in the chelating ligand on the catalytic activity was demonstrated. The catalytic properties were tested in ROMP of cyclooctadien (COD) and a single selected norbornene derivative.

Silylative coupling versus metathesis--efficient methods for the synthesis of difunctionalized double-decker silsesquioxane derivatives.

A series of functionalized dialkenylsilsesquioxanes were obtained by efficient and highly stereoselective silylative coupling and cross-metathesis of divinylsubstituted double-decker silsesquioxanes (DDSQ-2SiVi) with substituted styrenes and other olefins. Both reactions proceed highly stereoselectively and lead to nearly quantitative formation of E isomers. The optimized reaction conditions for styrene were adopted for successful silylative coupling polycondensation of DDSQ-2SiVi with 1,4-divinylbenzene yielding stereoregular cooligomer containing double-decker (silsesquioxyl-silylene)-vinylene-phenylene units.

The first ruthenium-silsesquioxyl complexes--synthesis, structure and mechanistic implications in silylative coupling.

The first ruthenium-silsesquioxyl complexes have been synthesised and characterized via spectroscopic and X-ray methods. Mechanistic studies were performed and the complexes obtained were proved to be intermediates in the catalytic cycle of silylative coupling of olefins with vinylsilsesquioxane. Moreover, a mechanism for silylative coupling of styrene with vinylsilsesquioxanes was proposed.