Equilibrium Formation of Stable All-Silicon Versions of 1,3-Cyclobutanediyl

Abstract

Main group analogues of cyclobutane‐1,3‐diyls are fascinating due to their unique reactivity and electronic properties. So far only heteronuclear examples have been isolated. Here we report the isolation and characterization of all‐silicon 1,3‐cyclobutanediyls as stable closed‐shell singlet species from the reversible reactions of cyclotrisilene c‐Si3Tip4 (Tip=2,4,6‐triisopropylphenyl) with the N‐heterocyclic silylenes c‐[(CR2CH2)(NtBu)2]Si: (R=H or methyl) with saturated backbones. At elevated temperatures, tetrasilacyclobutenes are obtained from these equilibrium mixtures. The corresponding reaction with the unsaturated N‐heterocyclic silylene c‐(CH)2(NtBu)2Si: proceeds directly to the corresponding tetrasilacyclobutene without detection of the assumed 1,3‐cyclobutanediyl intermediate.