Gold Nanoparticles and Gold(III) Complexes as General and Selective Hydrosilylation Catalysts

Abstract

Worth their weight in gold: Au/CeO2 nanoparticles are a highly active catalyst for the hydrosilylation of a large variety of unsaturated compounds with high chemo- and regioselectivity. To understand the nature of the catalytic active sites, AuI and AuIII phosphine-free stable organogold complexes and their supported counterparts were prepared and their relative activity towards hydrosilylation was elucidated.