The polyhedral oligosilsesquioxane complexes, {[(isobutyl)<
sub>
7<
/sub>
Si<
sub>
7<
/sub>
O<
sub>
12<
/sub>
]ZrOPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
�(HOPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
)}2 (I), {[(cyclohexyl)<
sub>
7<
/sub>
Si<
sub>
7<
/sub>
O<
sub>
12<
/sub>
]ZrOPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
�(HOPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
)}<
sub>
2<
/sub>
(II), {[(isobutyl)<
sub>
7<
/sub>
Si<
sub>
7<
/sub>
O<
sub>
12<
/sub>
]HfOPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
�(HOPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
)}<
sub>
2<
/sub>
(III) and {[(cyclohexyl)<
sub>
7<
/sub>
Si<
sub>
7<
/sub>
O<
sub>
12<
/sub>
]HfOPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
�(HOPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
)}<
sub>
2<
/sub>
(IV), were synthesized in good yields from the reactions of M(OPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
)<
sub>
4<
/sub>
(M = Zr, Hf) with R-POSS(OH)<
sub>
3<
/sub>
(R = isobutyl, cyclohexyl), resp. I?IV were characterized by <
sup>
1<
/sup>
H, <
sup>
13<
/sup>
C and <
sup>
29<
/sup>
Si NMR spectroscopy and their dimeric solid-state structures were confirmed by X-ray analysis. I?IV catalyze the reductive etherification of 2-hydroxy- and 4-hydroxy and 2-methoxy and 4-methoxybenzaldehyde and vanillin to their respective isopropyl ethers in isopropanol as a ?green? solvent and reagent. I?IV are durable and robust homogeneous catalysts operating at temperatures of 100?160 �C for days without significant loss of catalytic activity. Likewise, I?IV selectively catalyze the conversion of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) into 2,5-bis(isopropoxymethyl)furane (BPMF), a potentially high-performance fuel additive. Similar results were achieved by using a combination of M(OPr<
sup>
i<
/sup>
)<
sub>
4<
/sub>
and ligand R-POSS(OH)<
sub>
3<
/sub>
as a catalyst system demonstrating the potential of this ?in situ? approach for applications in biomass transformations. A tentative reaction mechanism for the reductive etherification of aldehydes catalysed by I?IV is proposed.