Supported gold nanoparticle-catalyzed cis-selective disilylation of terminal alkynes by σ disilanes.

Supported gold nanoparticles on metal oxides (1 mol %) catalyze for the first time the cis-selective disilylation of terminal alkynes by 1,2-disilanes in isolated yields up to 94%. It is likely that the reaction proceeds through oxidative insertion of the σ Si-Si bond of disilanes on gold followed by 1,2-addition to the alkyne.