Facile and efficient synthesis of the surface tantalum hydride (≡SiO)2TaIIIH and tris-siloxy tantalum (≡SiO)3TaIII starting from novel tantalum surface species (≡SiO)TaMe4 and (≡SiO)2TaMe 3

By grafting of TaMe5 (1) on the surface of silica partially dehydroxylated at 500 C (silica500), a mixture of (≡SiO)TaMe4 (2a; major, 65 ± 5%) and (≡SiO) 2TaMe3 (2b; minor, 35 ± 5%) was produced, which has been characterized by microanalysis, IR, and SS NMR (1H, 13C, 1H-13C HETCOR, proton double and triple quantum). After grafting, these surface organometallic compounds are more stable than the precursor TaMe5. Treatment of 2a,b with water and H 2 resulted in the formation of methane in amount of 3.6 ± 0.2 and 3.4 ± 0.2 mol/grafted Ta, respectively. 2a,b react with H2 (800 mbar) to form (≡SiO)2TaH. After (≡SiO) 2TaH was heated to 500 C under hydrogen or vacuum, [(≡SiO) 3Ta][≡SiH] was produced, and the structure was confirmed by IR, NMR, and EXAFS. Considering the difficulty of the previous preparation method, these syntheses represent a facile and convenient way to prepare tantalum surface species (≡SiO)2TaH and (≡SiO)3Ta via the intermediate of the new surface organometallic precursors: (≡SiO)TaMe4/(≡SiO)2TaMe3. (≡SiO)2TaH and (≡SiO)3Ta exhibit equal reactivities in alkane metathesis and ethylene polymerization in comparison to those in previous reports. © 2014 American Chemical Society.