Abstract
Carbenes are known for their ability to abstract HCl from hydrochlorosilanes to form carbene hydrochloride adducts. In contrast, the Si-H bond insertion products RSiCl2(cAACH) (2, 4, 6, and 8) have been formed in the reaction of RSiHCl2 [R = Ar(SiMe3)N (1), Cp* (3), PhC(NtBu)(2) (5), Cl (7); Ar = 2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3)] with a cyclic alkyl(amino) carbene (cAAC:) irrespective of the steric demand of the R group. The new products have been characterized by various analytical tools including X-ray crystallography, electron ionization mass spectrometry, and NMR spectroscopy. Theoretical investigations have also been performed to understand why cAAC prefers insertion into the Si-H bond rather than the dehydrohalogenation pathway.