The activity of rhodium phosphite complexes as catalyst precursors for hydrosilylation reactions has been investigated. These are found to be active for a wide variety of organic substrates. Both hydride clusters, [RhH[P(OR3)}2]n and chloride dimers, [RhCl{P(OR)3}2]2 (R = methyl or o-tolyl) were evaluated. The hydrosilylation of 1-hexyne by triethylsilane was investigated as a function of phosphite:rhodium ratio and also with various phosphites as ligand.
