Rhodium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Benzosilolometallocenes via the Dehydrogenative Silylation of C(sp2)-H Bonds

Use of a rhodium catalyst with electron-rich and bulky chiral diphosphine ligands having C-2-symmetry allowed efficient dehydrogenative silylation of the C(sp(2))-H bond of ferrocenes leading to chiral benzosiloloferrocenes. The substrate scope was expanded to hydrogermane and hydrosilanes having a ruthenocene backbone, which resulted in a new approach to benzosilole- and benzogermole-fused metallocenes.