Synthesis, structure and reactivity of a donor-stabilised silylene with a bulky bidentate benzamidinato ligand.

The novel donor-stabilised silylene was prepared in a four-step synthesis, starting from bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)carbodiimide (Dipp-N[double bond, length as m-dash]C[double bond, length as m-dash]N-Dipp), and its reactivity was studied in a series of oxidative addition reactions and a nucleophilic substitution reaction. The three-coordinate silicon(ii) complex contains the bulky bidentate amidinato ligand Dipp-NC(Ph)N-Dipp(-) and a dimethylamido ligand. Treatment of with N2O afforded the dinuclear five-coordinate silicon(iv) complex (SiO2N3 skeletons), and the reaction with S8 yielded the dinuclear four-coordinate silicon(iv) complex (SiS2N2 skeletons). Treatment of with Se and Te afforded the respective four-coordinate silicon(iv) complexes (SiSeN3 skeleton) and (SiTeN3 skeleton), which contain an Si[double bond, length as m-dash]Se and Si[double bond, length as m-dash]Te double bond, respectively. The reaction of with the silyl azide Me3SiN3 yielded the four-coordinate silicon(iv) complex (SiN4 skeleton) with an Si[double bond, length as m-dash]N double bond, whereas the reaction with the alkyl azide PhSCH2N3 gave the four-coordinate silicon(iv) complex (SiSN3 skeleton), the first silicon(iv) complex with an unsubstituted methyleneamido ligand. The reaction of with [Fe(CO)5] afforded the four-coordinate silicon(ii) complex (SiFeN3 skeleton) with an Si-Fe bond. Compounds (and the precursors and (five-coordinate silicon(iv) complexes with an SiCl3N2 and SiCl2N3 skeleton, respectively) in the synthesis of ) were characterised by elemental analyses, crystal structure analyses and multinuclear NMR spectroscopic studies in the solid state and in solution.