Research on inorganic activators of dibromo Co-terpyridine complex precatalyst for hydrosilylation.

The search for a stable, inexpensive, and easy-to-handle activator toward the catalyst precursor [Co(tpy)Br] in the hydrosilylation of olefins with hydrosilane revealed that KCO is an effective activator. This inorganic salt is available on substrates with some functional groups and can be readily removed by simple filtration or centrifugation after the reaction. After examining and comparing the activator abilities of various salts, it was proposed that low MX lattice energy, high X-nucleophilicity, and a strong Si-X bond are necessary for an inorganic salt (MX) to be an excellent activator.