Synthesis and reactivity of silylated tetrathiafulvalenes

Novel organosilylated tetrathiafulvalenes (TTFs) possessing Si-H or Si-Si bonds have been synthesised. The crystal structures of several derivatives have been determined by X-ray diffraction, including that of dimeric (Si(2)Me(4))(TTF)(2) () incorporating a diatomic SiMe(2)-SiMe(2) linker. Cyclic voltammetry measurements in all cases show two oxidation waves. DFT calculations were performed to rationalize the absence of an electronic communication between the two TTF moieties of through the disilanyl spacer. The reactivity of the Si-H bond has been exploited to prepare the dinuclear complex [{Ru(CO)(4)}(2){mu-(Me(2)Si)(4)TTF}] (), starting from Ru(3)(CO)(12) and TTF(SiMe(2)H)(4) (). Treatment of with 2 equiv. of PPh(3) or dppm results in selective substitution of a CO ligand trans to a SiMe(2) group to afford mer-[{Ru(PPh(3))(CO)(3)}(2){mu-(Me(2)Si)(4)TTF}] () and mer-[{Ru(CO)(3)}(2)(eta(1)-dppm){mu-(Me(2)Si)(4)TTF}] (). Attempts to transform the Si-H bonds of some TTF(SiMe(2)H)(n) (n = 1, 2) into Si-O functions using stoichiometric amounts of water in the presence of tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0) were unsuccessful. Quantitative cleavage of the C(TTF)-Si bond was observed instead of formation of TTF-based-siloxanes. Essays of catalytic bis-silylation of phenylacetylene with and TTF(SiMe(2)-SiMe(3)) () in the presence of Pd(OAc)(2)/1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutylisocyanide failed. Again, cleavage of the C(TTF)-Si bond was noticed.