Gold can do it! The activation of disilanes at gold was observed experimentally and analyzed theoretically. Upon chelation with two or even only one phosphine donor, the oxidativeaddition of σ‐SiSi bonds proceeds readily at low temperatures. These results show an unexpected similarity between gold and the other late transition metals towards σ bond activation.
A series of silsesquioxane-supported Phillips-type molecular catalysts for ethylene polymerization were synthesized by introducing various functional groups in proximity to monoalkylated Cr(III). They were moderately active in ethylene polymerization, while the performance was sensitive to the type of functional group. In particular, the presence of a lone pair near the active center was found to enhance