Activation of H2 by Silylzinc Compounds Mediated by a Pt (0) Complex

Yosi Kratish, Chemistry, Technion, Haifa, israel
Alexander Kaushansky, Chemistry, Technion, Haifa, israel
Dmitry Bravo-Zhivotovskii, Chemistry, Technion, Haifa, israel
Yitzhak Apeloig, Chemistry, Technion, Haifa, israel

The recent renaissance in organozinc chemistry as well as in silylzinc chemistry is driven by the high tolerance of these reagents towards different functional groups and their ability to undergo transmetalation reactions with a variety of metals making them highly chemoselective reagents for organic synthesis. /1/ In addition, the reduction capabilities of organozinc reagents with different hydrogen sources (e.g., hydridosilanes) are wildly developed. However, direct activation of H₂ by organozinc compounds was never demonstrated.

We now report that in contrast to organozinc compounds, bis(silyl)zinc, in the presence of a Pt(0) complexes, activates H₂, yielding the corresponding silane (Me₃Si)₃SiH and a novel Pt(II)-Zn complex (1) (Scheme). Furthermore, at 100°C (Me₃Si)₃SiH and 1 react to yield the starting bis(silyl)zinc, completing a cycle of hydrogen activation-storage and regeneration (Scheme).

References

/1/ P. Knochel, H. Leuser, L. Z. Gong, S. Perrone, F. F. Kneisel The Chemistry of Organozinc Compounds, Z. Rappoport, I. Marek, Eds. Wiley, Chichester, chapter 8, 2006.