Anchoring of Silyl Donors on a N‐Heterocyclic Carbene through the Cobalt‐Mediated Silylation of Benzylic CH Bonds

Pep up your carbene catalyst: A sequential cobalt-mediated CH activation and silylation protocol has been developed for the preparation of novel silyl-donor-functionalized NHC complexes (see scheme; Mes=mesityl; R=H, Me, Ph). The resulting cobalt complexes exhibited high activity and selectivity as catalysts for the hydrosilylation of olefins.