Reaction of the stable silylene Si[(NCH2But)2C6H4-1,2] with lithium amides

The thermally stable silylene Si(NCH2But)2C6H4-1,2] 1 undergoes oxidative addition reactions with the lithium amides LiNRR'(R = SiMe3, R' = But; R = SiMe3, R' = C6H3Me2-2,6; R = R' = Me or R = R' = Pri) to afford the new lithium amides Li(THF)2N(R)Si(SiMe3){(NCH2But)2C6H4-1,2}]R = But2 or R = C6H3Me2-2,6 (3a)] or the new tris(amino)functionalised silyllithiums Li(THF)xSi{(NCH2But)2C6H4-1,2}NRR']R = SiMe3, R' = C6H3Me2-2,6, x = 2 (3); R = R'= Me, x = 3 (4) or R = R' = Pri, x = 3 (5)]. Compounds 4 and 5 are stable at ambient temperature but compound 3 is thermally labile and converts into 3a upon heating. The pathway for the formation of 2 and 3 is discussed and the X-ray structures of 2-5 are presented.