General silaindene synthesis based on intramolecular reductive cyclization toward new fluorescent silicon-containing pi-electron materials.

[reaction: see text] The reaction of (o-silylphenyl)acetylene derivatives with lithium naphthalenide undergoes intramolecular reductive cyclization to produce various silaindene derivatives. On the basis of this methodology, a series of silaindene-containing pi-electron systems are synthesized that show intense blue to greenish-blue fluorescence.