(PtSi)x Aggregates from SiH Bond Activation

University Of Missouri-Saint Louis, Saint Louis MO

Investigators

Abstract

This award in the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry program supports research by Dr. Janet Braddock-Wilking at the University of Missouri at St. Louis on transformations that occur between organosilanes and late transition metal complexes in order to obtain insight into the reaction pathways and to investigate the reactivity of a variety of primary and secondary hydrosilanes with low-valent electron-rich late transition metal complexes of metals such as Pt, Rh, and Ir to gain a better understanding of the factors that influence Si-H bond activation. Stoichiometric reactions will be examined that involve silanes with sterically hindered groups at silicon and silanes where the SiH2 group is incorporated into a heterocycle. A better understanding of how metal-catalyzed reactions such as dehydrocoupling of hydrosilanes, hydrosilylation, and silane redistribution occur is crucial for the future development of new materials and processes. The research will provide students with the opportunity to learn about two overlapping areas of chemistry, transition metal and organosilicon chemistry. Students will develop synthetic organic and organometallic skills, utilize a number of purification, spectroscopic and presentation techniques.