Investigation of the Regioselectivity of Alkene Hydrosilylation Catalyzed by Organolanthanide and Group 3 Metallocene Complexes

The regioselectivity of monosubstituted alkene hydrosilylation catalyzed by organolanthanide and group 3 organometallic complexes has been studied as a function of catalyst structure. A wide variety of catalyst variations were shown to be compatible with the hydrosilylation process. Several novel complexes were synthesized to widen the scope of this investigation. The results show complexes containing larger lanthanide metal ions and reduced substitution on the cyclopentadienyl ligands produce increased yields of the secondary silane product. Several complexes were identified that are highly selective for primary silane generation.