Process for preparation of silyl ketene acetals

A process for preparation of silyl ketene acetals, the process comprising:

• (A) contacting a mixture comprising a organohydrosilane described by formula
• R.sub.3 SiH
• and a vinylic compound described by formula
• R.sup.1.sub.2 C.dbd.CR.sup.1 --COOR.sup.2
• with RhCl(di-tert-butylsulfide).sub.2 catalyst at a temperature within a range of about 20.degree. C. to 100.degree. C.;
• and
• (B) recovering a silyl ketene acetal described by formula
• R.sup.1.sub.2 CHCR.sup.1 .dbd.C(OSiR.sub.3)(OR.sup.2) ;
• where each R is a radical independently selected from a group consisting of alkyls comprising one to 20 carbon atom, alkoxys comprising one to 20 carbon atoms, cycloalkyls comprising four to 20 carbon atoms, halogenated hydrocarbons comprising one to 20 carbon atoms, aryls, and aryloxys;
• each R.sup.1 is independently selected from a group consisting of R and hydrogen;
• and R.sup.2 is selected from a group consisting of alkyls comprising one to 20 carbon atoms, halogenated hydrocarbons comprising one to 20 carbon atoms, aryls, triorganosilyl radicals described by formula --SiR.sub.3 where R is as previously described, and organooxy radicals of formula --(CH.sub.2).sub.n OR.sup.3 where n is an integer from one to ten and R.sup.3 is selected from a group consisting of alkyls comprising one to 20 carbon atoms, cycloalkyls comprising four to 20 carbon atoms, halogenated hydrocarbons comprising one to 20 carbon atoms, aryls, and triorganosilyls described by formula --SiR.sub.3 and R is as previously described.