Hydrosilation of a variety of ketones and aldehydes using the cationic iridium catalyst, (POCOP)Ir(H)(acetone)+, 1, (POCOP = 2,6-bis(di-tert-butyl phosphinito)phenyl) is reported. With triethyl silane, all but exceptionally bulky ketones undergo quantitative reactions employing 0.5 mol% catalyst in 20-30 min at 25 °C. Hydrosilation of esters and amides results in over-reduction and cleavage of C-O and C-N bonds, respectively. The diastereoselectivity of hydrosilation of 4-tert-butyl cyclohexanone has been examined using numerous silanes and is highly temperature dependent. Using EtMe2SiH, analysis of the ratio of cis:trans hydrosilation products as a function of temperature yields values for ΔΔH‡ (ΔH‡ (trans) - ΔH‡ (cis)) and ΔΔS‡ (ΔS‡ (trans) - ΔS‡(cis)) of -2.5 kcal/mol and -6.9 e.u., respectively. Mechanistic studies show that the ketone complex, (POCOP)Ir(H)(ketone)+, is the catalyst resting state and is in equilibrium with low concentration of the silane complex, (POCOP)Ir(H)(HSiR3)+. The silane complex transfers R3Si+ to ketone forming the oxocarbenium ion, R3SiOCR’2+, which is reduced by the resulting neutral dihydride 3, (POCOP)Ir(H)2, to yield product R3SiOCHR’2 and (POCOP)IrH+ which closes the catalytic cycle
