CHR-insertion (R=H, CH3) into cyclohexyl-substituted silsesquioxanes: reactivity and decomposition studies.

Amorphous silica plays an important role in heterogeneous catalysis as a support and is frequently presumed to be "inert". The structure of the supported catalyst is key to understanding the stability and reactivity of catalytic systems. To provide vital insights into the surface reactivity of silica, Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSSs) can act as realistic homogeneous molecular models for silica surfaces.