The effect of substituents at silicon on the cross-metathesis of trisubstituted vinylsilanes with olefins

Efficient cross-metathesis of vinylsilanes, carrying a large spectrum of different substituents at silicon, with various olefins in the presence of the first and second generation Grubbs catalyst and Hoveyda–Grubbs catalyst is described. On the basis of the results of equimolar reactions of vinylsilanes with ruthenium alkylidene complexes and experiments with deuterium-labelled reagents, a general, metallacarbene mechanism for the cross-metathesis of trisubstituted vinylsilanes with olefins has been suggested. Reaction was proved to be a valuable method for synthesis of unsaturated organosilicon derivatives.