500 mu m diameter beads as single reactors to screen organometallic catalysts: discovery of a new supported catalyst for the hydrosilylation of ketones

A library of aminophosphine-phosphinite ligands was prepared in the form of 500 mum beads, each single cross-linked polystyrene bead supporting only one type of ligand. After reaction with a rhodium complex, the library was evaluated for the hydrosilylation of acetophenone. This study demonstrated that results obtained by the standard Schlenck technique are reproducible at the single 500 mum diameter bead level. Moreover, the screening of this catalysts on beads library led to discovery of a new supported and easily recoverable catalyst, derived from the amino alcohol H2NCH2CH2OCH2CH2OH.