Generation and study of metallic nanoparticles is a rapidly growing field in pursuit of unique property profiles of metals at this small scale. In light of high surface to volume ratios, metal nanoparticles have the potential of being highly active catalysts for various organic and inorganic transformations. Here we present the synthesis, analysis and property profiling of platinum and palladium nanoparticles using tailored cyclic alkoxysiloxane oligomers.¹ UV-vis and TEM studies of reaction mixture revealed that cyclic alkoxysiloxane not only facilitate the generation of metal nanoclusters, but also act as stabilizing agents. Synthesized Pt and Pd nanoclusters were used as catalysts for hydrosilylation reactions of different alkenes and grafting of different functional alcohols on Octakis(dimethylsiloxy)-T₈-silsesquioxane (Q₈M₈^H) respectively. Platinum nanoclusters exhibited excellent catalytic activity and selectivity for the addition of Si-H bonds of different silanes and siloxanes across the double bonds of alkenes. Furthermore, palladium colloids offered quantitative yields of alcohols substitutions on Q₈M₈^H. Resultant silicones were analyzed by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (¹H, ²⁹Si and ¹³C), which showed successful substitutions and thermal analysis (TGA) of the products demonstrated enhanced thermal stability.

1 Chauhan, B. P. S.; Sardar, R.; Latif, U.; Chauhan, M.; Lamoreaux, W. J. Acta Chim. Slov. 2005, 52, 361.