-pyridyl)porphyrinato-manganeseIJIII) (MnTPyP+) ions intercalated inside nano- and micro-size natural clay powders effectively catalyzed the hydrosilylation reaction of 1-octene and triIJethoxy)silane under
mild conditions. The results showed that the homogeneous MnTPyP+ ions catalyzed the reaction where
both branched and linear products were observed. Intercalation significantly enhanced both catalyst activity
and selectivity. Production of the linear triIJethoxy)silyl-1-octane as sole product was confirmed by FT-IR
and NMR spectra, in the case of the intercalated catalyst. The activity enhancement was more pronounced
in the case of the nano-particle supported catalyst system, with turnover frequency (TF) values up to 1200
min−1 and 85% conversion observed in less than 20 min. The intercalated catalyst systems were easy to
recover and were reused three times, while retaining up to 80% of their original activity. Effects of different
reaction parameters on the initial reaction rate, such as clay particle size, solvent polarity, reactant concentration, catalyst loading and temperature, were investigated. A new plausible mechanism, with evidence
and justifications, is proposed