Silylation of silanols with vinylsilanes catalyzed by a ruthenium complex

A new ruthenium complex-catalyzed O-silylation of silanols with vinylsilanes leading to siloxane bond formation with the evolution of ethylene is described. A maximum conversion of silanol is reached using an excess of vinylsilane to also yield the product of the homo-coupling of the latter. Under the optimum conditions, when vinylsilane with at least one ethoxy substituent is used, the reaction gives exclusively unsymmetrical siloxanes.