NEW ASPECTS OF THE CATALYTIC CHEMISTRY OF ORGANOLANTHANIDES - DEHYDROGENATIVE COUPLING OF ORGANOTIN HYDRIDES AND OCTENE-1 HYDROSTANNYLATIONCATALYZED BY ORGANOYTTRIUM COMPOUNDS

Yttrium hydride {Cp'Y-2(mu-H)}(2) (Cp' = (t)BuC(5)H(4)) catalyzes the dehydrogenative coupling of organotin hydrides X(3)SnH(X = Et, (n)Bu) in benzene at 70 degrees C. In the presence of 1-octene, the catalytic reaction involves hydrogenation and not hydrostannylation of the olef in. The hydrostannylation proceeds at ambient temperature in the prese nce of yttrium hydrocarbyl {Cp'Y-2(mu-Me)}(2) to form a product with a linear structure in high yield and a small quantity of distannane.