Hydrosilylation of alkenes catalyzed by rhodium with polyethylene glycol-based ionic liquids as ligands

A series of polyethylene glycol-functionalized imidazolium ionic liquids has been prepared and characterized. These ionic liquids have been successfully applied in the hydrosilylation of alkenes catalyzed by rhodium complexes. The effects of the length of the polyether chain, the amount of ionic liquid, and the reaction temperature on the catalytic performance of hydrosilylation have been investigated. Furthermore, the catalytic system has been tested for the hydrosilylation of different alkenes with triethoxysilane. The new catalytic system exhibits both excellent catalytic activity and selectivity under low-temperature conditions. The catalyst system could be recycled five times with slightly deactivation.