Catalytic reactions of bisphosphinite pincerligated iridium compounds p-X R (POCOP)IrHCl (POCOP) [2,6-(R 2 PO) 2 C 6 H 3 , R = i Pr, X = H (1); R = t Bu, X = COOMe (2); = H (3); = NMe 2 (4)] with primary and secondary silanes have been performed. Complex 1 is primarily a silane redistribution precatalyst, but dehydrocoupling catalysis is observed for sterically demanding silane substrates or with aggressive removal of H 2 . The bulkier compounds (2−4) are silane dehydrocoupling precatalysts that also undergo competitive redistribution with less hindered substrates. Products generated from reactions utilizing 2−4 include low molecular weight oligosilanes with varying degrees of redistribution present or disilanes when employing more sterically demanding silane substrates. Selectivity for redistribution versus dehydrocoupling depends on the steric and electronic environment of the metal but can also be affected by reaction conditions.
■ INTRODUCTIONPolysilanes are not primarily prepared by metal catalysis, despite how essential metal catalysis is for the preparation of specialty polyolefins. 1 This is a surprising dichotomy given the premium on monodisperse, linear polysilanes of high molecular weight to promote optimal σ-electron delocalization. 2,3 Reasons for the lack of industrial adoption of metal-catalyzed silane dehydrocoupling depend on the general category of catalyst employed. For example, well-studied and highly active d 0 metal catalysts tend to suffer from competitive backbiting and formation of cyclosilanes, which can limit molecular weight and increase polydispersity. 4 Despite the fact that the first report on silane dehydrocoupling used Wilkinson's catalyst, 5 initial observations of low dehydrocoupling activity with late metals stunted their development relative to d 0 metal catalysts. 6 Additionally, the use of late metal catalysts in dehydrocoupling is potentially problematic due to two metal-catalyzed side reactions, the oxidation of Si−Si bonds 7 and redistribution. 8 Thus, the potential advances that metal catalysis can offer to polysilane preparation cannot be realized until the factors that impact metal catalysis are better understood. Efforts to minimize these side reactions have included promoting hydrogen loss, 9 employing designer substrates, 10,11 inhibiting silyl coordination, 12 and rigorous exclusion of water and oxygen.While conditions for promoting linear polysilanes over cyclosilanes are known for d 0 metallocene complexes, general conditions to promote dehydrocoupling over redistribution are not known. 4 However, late metal catalysts using nickel, 13−16 rhodium, 17,18 and platinum 19 have shown dehydrocoupling activity and selectivity comparable to that of the group 4 metallocenes, although these methods of polymerization still generally suffer from lower than desired molecular weights and high polydispersity.Iridium pincer complexes bearing the POCOP ligand (POCOP = 2,6-( t Bu 2 PO) 2 C 6 H 3 − ) are thermally robust molecules that have shown high activity as dehydrogenation ca...