Die chemie der schweren carben-analogen R2M,M = Si,Ge, Sn: IX. Eigenschaften und thermolyse von neuen 7-silabicyclo[2.2.1]heptadienen

Factors governing the ease and mechanism of 7-silabicyclo2.2.1]heptadienes thermolysis in order to generate free silylenes and the corresponding benzene derivatives are investigated. For this purpose, 29 new compounds of the types VII–X have been prepared. No indications for a polar mechanism or an intermediate biradical could be found. The degradation is exactly of first order in all cases investigated sofar, and is enhanced by phenyl groups at the bridgehead C atoms, if a conformation coplanar with the basic ring is allowed by the neighbouring substituents, but is not enhanced by phenyl groups at the Si. The X-ray structure of two typical derivatives is discussed with this respect. A special mechanism is operating in the easy thermolysis of carbomethoxy-substituted compounds leading to cyclic sila enolether intermediates.