The synthesis of a new inorganic-organic hybrid material in a non-aqueous m
edium from acid-base hydrolysis of octadecyltri(amino)silane with tri(hydro
xypropyl)phosphine, is reported. Rh(I) metal centers are easily introduced
into the network by reacting it with the dimer, [Rh(mu-Cl)(1,5-C8H12)](2),
and the resulting organometallic-inorganic hybrid shows preference for the
fully hydrogenated product (bibenzyl) in the catalytic hydrogenation of dip
henylacetylene. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.