We synthesised palladium and platinum complexes possessing cyclic and acyclic pincer-type polyaromatic ligands and investigated their structural effect on the catalysis. The pincer-type bis(6-arylpyridin-2-yl)benzene skeleton was constructed via Kröhnke pyridine synthesis under transition metal-free conditions on gram-scale quantity. Ligand structure significantly influenced catalytic activity toward the platinum-catalysed hydrosilylation of diphenyl acetylenes, despite the ligand-independence of the conformations and electronic properties of these complexes.
Keywords: hydrosilylation; macrocyclic ligands; polyaromatic ligands; topology; transition metals.
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