Lithiated Stannasilanes – Building Blocks for Monocyclic Si–Sn Rings

Dilithiated di(stannyl)oligosilanes (^tBu₂Sn(Li)– (SiMe₂)_n–Sn(Li)^tBu₂; 4 , n = 2; 5 , n = 3) were synthesized by the reaction of lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) with the α,ω‐hydrido tin substituted oligosilanes (^tBu₂Sn(H)– (SiMe₂)_n–Sn(H)^tBu₂; 1 , n = 2; 2 , n = 3). Surprisingly, the reaction of 1 and 3 (^tBu₂Sn(H)–(SiMe₂)₄–Sn(H)^tBu₂) with LDA resulted not in the formation of the lithiated compound, but what one can find is the formation of the 5,5‐ditert.butyl‐octamethyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrasila‐5‐stannacyclopentane ( 8 ) (n = 4) in addition to the expected product 4 (n = 4) and the 3,3,6,6‐tetratert.butyl‐octamethyl‐1,2,4,5‐tetrasila‐3,6‐distannacyclohexane ( 7 ) (n = 3). Reactions of 4 and 5 with dimethyl and diphenyldichlorosilanes yielding monocyclic Si–Sn derivatives ( 9 – 11 ) are also discussed. The solid‐state structures of 7 and 11 were determined by X‐ray crystallography.     

Mechanochemical Rhodium(III)‐Catalyzed C?H Bond Functionalization of Acetanilides under Solventless Conditions in a Ball Mill

In a proof‐of‐principle study, a planetary ball mill was applied to rhodium(III)‐catalyzed C H bond functionalization. Under solventless conditions and in the presence of a minute amount of Cu(OAc)₂, the mechanochemical activation led to the formation of an active rhodium species, thus enabling an oxidative Heck‐type cross‐coupling reaction with dioxygen as the terminal oxidant. The absence of an organic solvent, the avoidance of a high reaction temperature, the possibility of minimizing the amount of the metallic mediator, and the simplicity of the protocol result in a powerful and environmentally benign alternative to the common solution‐based standard protocol.