1,2-selective hydrosilylation of conjugated dienes

Selective 1,2-hydrosilylation of 1,3-dienes is a challenging problem in transition metal catalysis. Butadiene, specifically, would be a useful substrate because 3-butenylsilane products have promise as superior coupling reagents for hybrid organic/inorganic materials synthesis. We report the first selective 1,2-hydrosilylation of conjugated dienes including butadiene. Hydrosilylation proceeds through a Pt(II/IV) cycle, and selectivity is generated at a hexacoordinate Pt(IV) complex that favors ²-diene coordination and prevents π-allyl complex formation.