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The reaction of 1,1,4,4-tetrakisbis(trimethylsilyl)methyl-1,4-diisopropyltetrasila-2-yne 1 with tBuLi produced disilenyllithium derivative 2, the product of the formal addition of LiH across the Si⋮Si triple bond through a single electron transfer reaction. The solvent-separated ion pair of the disilenide 3 was characterized by X-ray crystallography. The bulky SiiPrCH(SiMe3)22 groups are arranged in the trans fashion with a silicon−silicon double bond length of 2.2034(9) Å. The reaction of 1 with an equivalent amount of potassium graphite (KC8) in THF produced the disilyne anion radical 4, which was isolated in the form of its potassium salt as extremely air- and moisture-sensitive dark brown crystals. The molecular structure of 4 was established by X-ray crystallography, which showed a trans-bent structure (av 113.4°) with the central Si−Si bond length of 2.1728(14) Å. An electron spin resonance (ESR) study indicates delocalization of the unpaired electron between the two central silicon atoms of 4.
Kinjo et al. (Fri,) studied this question.