Theoretical studies on the pentacoordinate silylenoid PhCH2(NH2)CH3SiLiF

The structures of pentacoordinate silylenoid PhCH₂(NH₂)CH₃SiLiF were studied by density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level. Three equilibrium structures, the three-membered ring (1), the p-complex (2), and the σ-complex (3) structures, were located. Their energies are in the order of 2 > 1 > 3 both in vacuum and in THF. To exploit the stability of PhCH₂(NH₂)CH₃SiLiF, the insertion reactions of 1 and PhCH₂(NH₂)CH₃Si into C–F have been investigated, respectively. The results show that the insertion of PhCH₂(NH₂)CH₃Si is more favorable. To probe the influence of amine-coordination to the stability of PhCH₂(NH₂)CH₃SiLiF, the insertion reaction of PhCH₃CH₃SiLiF was also investigated. The calculations indicate that the insertion of PhCH₃CH₃SiLiF is more favorable than that of 1. So the N atom plays an important role on the stability of silylenoid PhCH₂(NH₂)CH₃SiLiF.