Role of Low-Valent Rhenium Species in Catalytic Hydrosilylation Reactions with Oxorhenium Catalysts

The catalytic competency of a Re­(III) complex has been
demonstrated. In the presence of silane, oxorhenium­(V) catalysts are
deoxygenated to produce species that are significantly more active
than the metal oxo precursors in hydrosilylation reactions. The results
presented suggest that, in evaluating mechanisms for catalytic hydrosilylation
reactions that involve high-valent metal oxo complexes, the activity
of species that may be generated by deoxygenation of the metal with
silane should also be systematically investigated as potential catalysts.