Competitive silylation of olefins with vinylsilanes and hydrosilanes photocatalyzed by iron carbonyl complexes

Fe(CO)5 appeared to be a good catalyst for competitive silylation of olefins (vinylsilanes, styrene) by vinylsilanes and hydrosilane (e.g. Et3SiH). The catalytic measurements for Fe(CO)5+ Et3SiH system and a stoichiometric study on the insertion of olefin into Fe–Si bond in CpFe(CO)SiMe3 confirm the mechanism of catalysis involving the first reported β-silyl transfer (from carbon of β-silylethyliron) to iron atom accompanied by dehydrogenative silylation of the olefin.