Ir-Catalyzed Regio- and Stereoselective Hydrosilylation of Internal Thioalkynes: A Combined Experimental and Computational Study

Iridium complexes are known catalysts for a range of silylation reactions. However, the exploitation for selective hydrosilylation of unsymmetrical internal alkynes has been limitedly known. Described here is a new example of this type. Specifically, [(cod)IrCl]₂ catalyzes the efficient and mild hydrosilylation of thioalkynes by various silanes with excellent regio- and stereoselectivity. DFT studies suggested a new mechanism involving Ir(I) hydride as the key intermediate.