Preparation and reactivity of an O,O-chelating silsesquioxane-palladium complex

An incompletely condensed silsesquioxane containing trisilanol (c-C₅H₉)₇Si₇O₉(OH)₃ reacts with PdI₂(bpy)] (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) in the presence of Ag₂O to produce a palladium complex with an O,O-chelating silsesquioxanate ligand, Pd{O₁₁Si₇(c-C₅H₉)₇(OH)}(bpy)] (1). The reaction of Ph₂SiClH with 1 in 2:1 ratio causes disilylations of the silsesquioxanate ligand, forming PdCl₂(bpy)]. Addition of p-cresol to a solution of 1 yields the trisilanol and Pd(OC₆H₄CH₃-p)₂(bpy)].