Recyclable catalysts methods of making and using the same

Abstract

Organometallic complexes are provided, which include a catalyst containing a transition metal, a ligand and a component having the formula GAr. Aris an aromatic ring system selected from phenyl, naphthalenyl, anthracenyl, fluorenyl, or indenyl. The aromatic ring system has at least a substituent selected from fluorine, hydrogen, hydrocarbyl or fluorinated hydrocarbyl, G is substituted or unsubstituted (CH)or (CF), wherein n is from 1 to 30, wherein further one or more CHor CFgroups are optionally replaced by NR, PR, SiR, BR, O or S, or R is hydrocarbyl or substituted hydrocarbyl, GArbeing covalently bonded to either said transition metal or said ligand of said catalyst, thereby rendering said cationic organometallic complex liquid. The catalyst of the organometallic complex can be [CpM(CO)(NHC)L]A, wherein M is an atom of molybdenum or tungsten, Cp is substituted or unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl radical represented by the formula [CQQQQQ], wherein Qto Qare independently selected from the group consisting of H radical, GArChydrocarbyl radical, substituted hydrocarbyl radical, substituted hydrocarbyl radical substituted by GAr, halogen radical, halogen-substituted hydrocarbyl radical, —OR, —C(O)R', —COR′, —SiR′and —NR′R″, wherein R′ and R″ are independently selected from the group consisting of H radical, Chydrocarbyl radical, halogen radical, and halogen-substituted hydrocarbyl radical, wherein said Qto Qradicals are optionally linked to each other to form a stable bridging group, NHC is any N-heterocyclic carbene ligand, L is either any neutral electron donor ligand, wherein k is a number from 0 to 1 or L is an anionic ligand wherein k is 2, and Ais an anion. Processes using the organometallic complexes as catalysts in catalytic reactions, such as for example, the hydrosilylation of aldehydes, ketones and esters are also provided.