Supported RuCl3–FeCl3 catalysts for hydrosilylation of fluorinated olefins: Catalysis and kinetic study

To address the issues of low yield, high cost, and poor recyclability associated with conventional Pt-based catalysts in the hydrosilylation of fluorinated olefins , this study develops an efficient, stable, and economically sustainable RuCl 3 –FeCl 3 /C supported catalytic system . Through a systematic comparison of different supports (activated carbon, α-Al 2 O 3 , γ-Al 2 O 3 , and ZSM-5) and metal loadings, it was found that 5 wt% RuCl 3 supported on activated carbon achieved a perfluorohexylethyltrimethoxysilane (PFOT) yield of 58 % in the first cycle and maintained over 51 % after three cycles. Introducing FeCl 3 at a Ru:Fe molar ratio of 1:3 further enhanced catalytic performance, increasing the first-cycle yield to 79 % and maintaining over 76 % in subsequent cycles. XPS analysis revealed that Fe 3+ effectively suppresses the reduction of Ru 3+ to Ru 0 by forming an electronic buffer zone, thereby stabilizing the oxidation state of the active center and prolonging catalyst lifetime and selectivity. Kinetic studies confirmed that this synergistic effect reduced the apparent activation energy from 31 kJ/mol to 21 kJ/mol. Compared to existing Pt-based systems, the Ru–Fe bimetallic catalyst demonstrates a superior balance of catalytic activity , operational stability, economic feasibility , and industrial scalability.