Copper-containing polymethylsilsesquioxane nanocomposites in catalytic olefination reaction

New copper-containing organosilicon hybrid materials were synthesized by the reaction of branched polymethyl- silsesquioxane with copper nanoparticles prepared by the metal-vapor synthesis. Hybrid materials showed a high activity in the catalytic olefination of p-chlorobenzaldehyde hydrazone with polyhaloalkanes such as CBrCl₃, CBr₄ and CF CBr to afford the corresponding halostyrenes in the yields above 80%. The structure and composition of the prepared nanocomposites were studied by X-ray using synchrotron radiation to show that the active sites of the catalysts are mixed copper(I)–copper(II) oxides (Cu–Cu₂O–CuO) in nature.