Cleavage of Carbene-Stabilized Disilicon

Reaction of carbene-stabilized disilicon L:Si═Si:L (L: = :C{N(2,6-Pr(i)(2)C(6)H(3))CH}(2), 1) with BH(3)·THF results in facile cleavage of the silicon-silicon double bond and the formation of two quite different "push-pull" stabilized products with borane- and carbene-coordinated silylene moieties: 2, containing a parent silylene (:SiH(2)); and 3, containing a unique three-membered cyclosilylene.