Alkoxysilyl ligand

Alkoxide anion abstraction by a Lewis acid from phosphorus ligand on a transition metal is one of the most useful methods to prepare cationic phosphenium complexes. It has been reported that OR anion abstraction from an alkoxyalkyl ligand, C(OR)R2, on a transition metal complex leads to the formation of a cationic carbene complex.39-42 It is similarly expected that OR anion abstraction from an alkoxysilyl ligand, Si(OR)R2, would cause the formation of a cationic silylene complex. Therefore, increased attention has been focused on the reaction with a Lewis acid of transition metal complexes bearing both alkoxyalkyl and phosphite ligands and of complexes bearing both alkoxysilyl and phosphite ligands. 

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