Rhodium nanoflowers stabilized by a nitrogen-rich PEG-tagged substrate as recyclable catalyst for the stereoselective hydrosilylation of internal alkynes

© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. Morphology and size controllable rhodium nanoparticles stabilized by a nitrogen-rich polyoxyethylenated derivative have been prepared by reduction of RhCl 3 with NaBH4 in water at room temperature and fully characterized. The flower-like Rh NPs are effective and recyclable catalysts for the stereoselective hydrosilylation of challenging internal alkynes and diynes, affording the (E)-vinylsilanes in quantitative yields for a wide range of substrates. The insolubility of the nanocatalyst in diethyl ether allows its easy separation and recycling.