The ultraviolet spectra of silocyclobutanes

The UV spectra of Si-substituted silocyclobutanes in vacuum were studied. The bathochromic shift of the absorption band, disclosed by comparison with bands of the corresponding acyclic compounds, can be explained by the highly strained state of the four-membered ring. This same principle in disilocyclobutanes leads to the reduction of the barrier effect of the methylene group, disrupting the interaction of the silicon atoms in the unstrained molecule.