Photochemical Silene Syntheses

Abstract

We report the attempted syntheses of two photochemical dimethylsilene precursors, both of which are derived from polyphenyl silanorbornadiene skeletons. Possible synthetic schemes and our results are reported herein. Photolysis of 1,2-divinyl-1,1,2,2-tetramethyl-1,2-disilane at room temperature in a cyclohexane solution of 1,3-butadiene produces 1,1-dimethyl-2-(vinyldimethylsilylmethyl) silene which is trapped in high yields to afford the E- and Z-1,1-dimethyl-2-(vinyldimethylsilylmethyl)-3-vinyl-1-silacyclobutanes in 42 and 29% yields, respectively, along with minor amounts of 1,1-dimethyl-2-(vinyldimethylsilylmethyl)-1-silacyclohex-3-ene, 9%. Low Pressure Flow Pyrolysis at 450º C of either the E- or Z-isomer provides a relatively mild thermal source of the silene in the gas phase. Two products, 1,1,3,3-tetramethyldisilacyclohex-3-ene and 2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-2,5-disilabicyclo[2.2.1]hexane, are formed from an intramolecular rearrangement of the silene. Other reactions of the 3-vinylsilacyclobutanes include geometric isomerization, ring expansion to the silacyclohex-3-ene, and a homodienyl-1,5-hydrogen shift to 3,3,6,6-tetramethyl-3,6-disiladeca-1,4,8-triene. Synthetic schemes, successful and unsuccessful, for hydrido silene, acylpolysilene, and fluorine substituted silene precursors are discussed in the final chapter