Disilaruthena- and Ferracyclic Complexes Containing Isocyanide Ligands as Effective Catalysts for Hydrogenation of Unfunctionalized Sterically Hindered Alkenes.

Disilaferra- and disilaruthenacyclic complexes containing mesityl isocyanide as a ligand, 3' and 4', were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopy and crystallography. Both 3' and 4' showed excellent catalytic activity for the hydrogenation of alkenes. Compared with iron and ruthenium carbonyl analogues, 1' and 2', the isocyanide complexes 3' and 4' were more robust under the hydrogenation conditions, and were still active even at higher temperatures (∼80 °C) under high hydrogen pressure (∼20 atm).