Well-defined NHC-rhodium hydroxide complexes as alkene hydrosilylation and dehydrogenative silylation catalysts

Alkene hydrosilylation and dehydrogenative silylation reactions, mediated by [Rh(cod)(NHC)(OH)] complexes (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene; NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) are described. The study details a comparison of the catalytic activity and steric characteristics of four rhodium complexes bearing different NHC ligands. The novel [Rh(cod)(Ii-PrMe)(OH)] complex (Ii-PrMe = 1,3-diisopropyl-4,5-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidine) was designed to improve the reactivity of Rh(I)-hydroxides and proved to be a successful promoter of hydrosilylation and dehydrogenative silylation, displaying good stereo- and regiocontrol.