title: Alkane metathesis with the tantalum methylidene [(≡SiO)Ta(═CH2)Me2]/[(≡SiO)2Ta(═CH2)Me] generated from well-defined surface organometallic complex [(≡SiO)Ta(V)Me4].
abstract: By grafting TaMe5 on Aerosil700, a stable, well-defined, silica-supported tetramethyl tantalum(V) complex, [(≡SiO)TaMe4], is obtained on the silica surface. After thermal treatment at 150 °C, the complex is transformed into two surface tantalum methylidenes, [(≡SiO)2Ta(═CH2)Me] and [(≡SiO)Ta(═CH2)Me2], which are active in alkane metathesis and comparable to the previously reported [(≡SiO)2TaHx]. Here we present the first experimental study to isolate and identify a surface tantalum carbene as the intermediate in alkane metathesis. A systematic experimental study reveals a new reasonable pathway for this reaction.
authors.affiliation: Physical Sciences and Engineering, KAUST Catalysis Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) , Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Yin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Edy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abou-hamad
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamieh
authors.forename: Bilel
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hamzaoui
authors.forename: Lyndon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Emsley
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Basset