Synthesis of novel rhodium‐xylyl linked N‐heterocyclic carbene complexes as hydrosilylation catalysts

Reaction of ortho‐xylylbis(N‐2,4,6‐trimethylbenzylimidazolinium); xylylbis(N‐butylimidazolinium) and para‐xylylbis(N‐2,4,6‐trimethylbenzylimidazolinium); xylylbis(N‐butylimidazolinium) salts with KOBu^t and RhCl(COD)]₂ yields ortho‐ and para‐xylylbis{(N‐alkylimidazolidin‐2‐ylidene)chloro(η⁴‐1,5‐cyclooctadiene) rho dium(I)} complexes (2a–d). All compounds synthesized were characterized by elemental analysis and NMR spectroscopy, and the molecular structures of the 2a and 2d were determined by X‐ray crystallography. Triethylsilane reacts with acetophenone derivatives in the presence of catalytic amount of the new rhodium(I)–carbene complexes (2a–d), to give the corresponding silylethers in good yields (83–99%). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.