Generation and Intermolecular Trapping of 1,2-Diaza-4-silacyclopentane-3,5-diyls in the Denitrogenation of 2,3,5,6-Tetraaza-7-silabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene: An Experimental and Computational Study

In our previous computational study, we found that silicon and nitrogen atoms have a notable effect on the reactivity of 1,2-diaza-4-silacyclopentane-3,5-diyls. Thus, the singlet state of the diradical was calculated to be much more stable than the corresponding ring-closing product, i.e., 2,3-diaza-5-silabicyclo[2.1.0]pentane, and the triplet state of the diradical. In the present study, derivatives of the diradical were generated experimentally in the denitrogenation of precursor azoalkanes, i.e., 2,3,5,6-tetraaza-7-silabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-enes, which can be prepared by cycloaddition of a diazasilole with 4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione (PTAD) or 4-methyl-1,2,4-triazole-3,5-dione (MTAD). The diradicals were trapped intermolecularly to afford polycyclic compounds. The computational studies (UB3LYP/6-31G*) of the denitrogenation of a model azoalkane suggested that stepwise denitrogenation with an activation energy of ca. 22 kcal/mol is the thermodynamically favored pathway for generation of the singlet diradical 1,2-diaza-4-silacyclopentane-3,5-diyl derivative via a 1,4-diazenyldiradical intermediate. The low activation energy of the denitrogenation reaction was consistent with the experimental observation that the azoalkane was labile under the preparation conditions used in this study.