Silver-Catalyzed SiR2 Transfer Reactions via Consecutive Metal-Silylenoid and -Silylene Intermediates

Abstract The silver-catalyzed transfer of a SiR2 group constitutes an underdeveloped area, mainly reduced to the work provided by the group of Woerpel. We herein expand such transformation employing silver complexes bearing trispyrazolylborate ligands that catalyze the conversion of gaseous ethylene or acetylene (as well as other olefins and alkynes) into the corresponding silacyclopropane and silacyclopropene. Mechanistic studies, supported by experimental probes and DFT calculations, allow proposing the implication of silver-silylenoid and silver-silylene species as key intermediates in a consecutive manner.