The first ruthenium-silsesquioxyl complexes--synthesis, structure and mechanistic implications in silylative coupling

The first ruthenium-silsesquioxyl complexes have been synthesised and characterized via spectroscopic and X-ray methods. Mechanistic studies were performed and the complexes obtained were proved to be intermediates in the catalytic cycle of silylative coupling of olefins with vinylsilsesquioxane. Moreover, a mechanism for silylative coupling of styrene with vinylsilsesquioxanes was proposed.