title: Elusive silane-alane complex [Si-H⋅⋅⋅Al]: isolation, characterization, and multifaceted frustrated Lewis pair type catalysis.
abstract: The super acidity of the unsolvated Al(C6F5)3 enabled isolation of the elusive silane-alane complex [Si-H⋅⋅⋅Al], which was structurally characterized by spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction methods. The Janus-like nature of this adduct, coupled with strong silane activation, effects multifaceted frustrated-Lewis-pair-type catalysis. When compared with the silane-borane system, the silane-alane system offers unique features or clear advantages in the four types of catalytic transformations examined in this study, including: ligand redistribution of tertiary silanes into secondary and quaternary silanes, polymerization of conjugated polar alkenes, hydrosilylation of unactivated alkenes, and hydrodefluorination of fluoroalkanes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1872 (USA).
authors.forename: Jiawei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1872 (USA). Eugene.Chen@colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Eugene Y-X
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Chen
keywords: Lewis acids; X-ray diffraction; alanes; silanes; structure elucidation