Silicon hydrides and nickel complexes : I. Phosphine-nickel(II) complexes as hydrosilylation catalysts

A variety of dihalodiphosphinenickel(II) complexes have been found to be effective catalysts for hydrosilylation of olefins and acetylenes. Reactions with nickel(II) catalysts, at least those containing a bidentate phosphine ligand, scarcely proceed below 90°. At 120° the reaction proceeds smoothly to form, in many cases, an unexpected (“abnormal”) adduct which has arisen from an interchange of hydrogen and chlorine on silicon in addition to the expected (“normal”) one. Both total yields, and the ratios of the “abnormal” to the “normal” adduct increase, in general, with increasing electron-donating ability of both the phosphine ligands and the substituents on the olefins. Isomerization of olefins occurs during the course of hydrosilylation. cis-Addition occurs preferentially. The reactivity of the silicon hydrides decreases in the order HSiCl₃ ? HSiMeCl₂ ? HSiMe₂Cl ? HSiMe₃.