The thermally stable silylene Si[(NCH2Bu)2C6H4-1,2]: reaction with pyridine and quinoline

Two equivalents of the thermally stable silylene Si[(NCH₂Bu^t)₂C₆H₄-1,2] (1) react with pyridine to yield the 1-aza-2,3-disilacyclobutane derivative (2), which is labile and slowly rearranges via a 1,3-H shift to the 2-pyridyldisilane (3). A similar reaction of 1 with quinoline gives 1-aza-2,3-disilacyclobutane derivative (4), which is stable. The X-ray structures of 2 and 3 are discussed.     

An Intramolecular Silylene Borane Capable of Facile Activation of Small Molecules,Including Metal‐Free Dehydrogenation of Water

The first single‐component N‐heterocyclic silylene borane 1 (LSi‐R‐BMes₂; L=PhC(N^t Bu)₂; R=1,12‐xanthendiyl spacer; Mes=2,4,6‐Me₃C₆H₂), acting as a frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) in small‐molecule activation, can be synthesized in 65 % yields. Its HOMO is largely localized at the silicon(II) atom and the LUMO has mainly boron 2p character. In small‐molecule activation 1 allows access to the intramolecular silanone–borane 3 featuring a Si=O→B interaction through reaction with O₂, N₂O, or CO₂, and formation of silanethione borane 4 from reaction with S₈. The Si^II center in 1 undergoes immediate hydrogenation if exposed to H₂ at 1 atm pressure in benzene, affording the silane borane 5‐H₂ , L(H₂)Si‐R‐BMes₂. Remarkably, no H₂ activation occurs if the single silylene LSiPh and Mes₃B intermolecularly separated are exposed to dihydrogen. Unexpectedly, the pre‐organized Si–B separation in 1 enables a metal‐free dehydrogenation of H₂O to give the silanone–borane 3 as reactive intermediate.     

Heavier Tetrylenes as Single Site Catalysts

An overview of the development of compounds with heavier low-valent group 14 elements (known as tetrylenes) as single component catalyst for organic transformation has been provided. Compounds with heavier group 14 elements possess stereochemically active lone pairs and energetically accessible π-antibonding orbitals, thereby resembling the electronic configuration of transition-metal compounds. Such compounds with low-valent group 14 elements has been known for small molecule activation since Power's report of dihydrogen activation by a digermyne, but their utilization in catalysis remained as a “Holy Grail” in main group chemistry. In recent years, numerous methodologies have been discovered epitomizing the use of Si(II), Ge(II) and Sn(II) compounds as single site catalysts for hydroboration of aldehydes, ketones, pyridines, cyanosilylation of aldehydes and ketones, N-formylations aromatic amines, dehydrocoupling reactions. This mini-review highlights these significant developments with an emphasis on the mechanistic investigation.     

Consecutive disilanylsilylene to silyldisilene rearrangements

Thermolysis of 2,3-benzo-1,4-diphenyl-7-silanorbornadiene derivatives 1 in the presence of 2,3-dimethylbutadienes gave the trapping products of the corresponding bissilylene, disilenylsilylene, and a tetrasila-1,3-butadiene, via a consecutive disilanylsilylene to silyldisilene rearrangement.     

The stable silylene Si[(NCH2Bu)2C6H4-1,2]: Reactions with Group 14 element halides

Reaction of the thermally stable silylene Si[(NCH₂Bu^t)₂C₆H₄-1,2] (1) [abbrev. as Si(NN)] with SiX₄ (X = Cl or Br) afforded the disilanes (NN)SiX(SiX₃) and [(NN)SiX]₂ (X = Br only), the trisilane (NN)SiX-[(SiX₃)Si(NN)] and the monosilane (NN)SiX₂ (X = Br only), whereas treatment of 1 with MCl₄ (M = Ge or Sn) yielded (NN)SiCl₂ and MCl₂. [(NN)SiBr]₂ and (NN)SiBr₂ were also obtained by reaction of 1 with Br₂. Reaction of 1 with PhSiCl₃ yielded the disilane (NN)SiCl(SiCl₂Ph) and trisilane [(NN)SiCl]₂SiClPh, whereas the disilane (NN)SiCl(SiCl₂Me) was obtained with MeSiCl₃. The trisilane (NN)SiCl-[(SiCl₃)Si(NN)] was thermally labile and converted to [(NN)SiCl]₂SiCl₂.