A Silicon Analogue of Vinyllithium: Structural Characterization of a Disilenide

Abstract

The reduction of Tip2SiCl2 by finely dispersed lithium powder directly affords the disilenide 1 (see picture), the structure of which could be characterized by X-ray crystallography. The reaction of 1 with Me3SiCl leads to the corresponding asymmetrical disilene. The ready availability of 1 is expected to open new possibilities for the synthesis of disilenes in general. Tip=2,4,6-iPr3C6H2