Tetraarylethylenes from Diarylmethanones and Hexachlorodisilane: The “Sila‐McMurry” Reaction

Hexachlorodisilane reacts with diarylmethanones (aryl=C₆H₅, 4‐MeC₆H₄, 4‐tBuC₆H₄, 4‐ClC₆H₄, 4‐BrC₆H₄) to furnish the corresponding tetraarylethylenes in good yields. The reductive conversion requires temperatures of about 160 °C and reaction times of 60–72 h. In the initial step, the Lewis‐basic carbonyl groups likely generate low‐valent SiCl₂] as an analogue of TiCl₂] in the classical McMurry reaction. The coupling sequence further proceeds via benzopinacolones, which have been isolated as key intermediates.