Si-H Activation in Titanocene and Zirconocene Complexes of Alkynylsilanes RC≡CSiMe2H (R=tBu, Ph, SiMe3, SiMe2H): A Model To Understand Catalytic Reactions of Hydrosilanes

An agostic interaction between the Si–H bond and the metal center (depicted on the right) is the characteristic feature of the title complexes, which could be prepared by acetylene exchange reactions. IR, NMR, and X-ray structural investigations reveal that the effect of the Si-H-metal interaction is considerably stronger at low temperatures and in the solid state. This mode of bond activation is important in active catalysts for hydrosilylation and dehydrogenative polysilane reactions.