Cross-metathesis of alkenes with vinyl-substituted silsesquioxanes and spherosilicates: a new method for synthesizing highly-functionalized Si/O frameworks

Abstract

Highly functionalized silsesquioxanes and spherosilicates of the formulae [(RCHCH) 8 Si 8 O 12 ] and [(RCHCHSiMe 2 -O) 8 Si 8 O 12 ] can be prepared by cross-metathesisreactions of alkenes with readily available vinyl-substituted silsesquioxane and spherosilicate frameworks, [(vinyl) 8 Si 8 O 12 ] 1 and [(vinylSiMe 2 O) 8 Si 8 O 12 ] 2; the methodology is quite general and is not complicated by self-metathesis reactions of 1 or 2.