Palladium-phosphine complex catalyzed SiSi bond metathesis dimerization of 3,4-benzo-1,2-dimethyl-1,2-diethyl-1,2-disilacyclobut-3-ene ( 1b) took place at 80°C to give 3,4,7,8-dibenzo-1,2,5,6-tetramethyl-1,2,5,6-tetraethyl-1,2,5,6-tetrasilacycloocta-3,7-diene ( 2b) and its isomer 4,5,7,8-dibenzo-1,2,3,6-tetramethyl-1,2,3,6-tetraethyl-1,2,3,6-tetrasilacycloocta-4,7-diene ( 3b). Higher temperatures or longer reaction times enhanced the selectivity for 3b relative to 2b, indicative of concomitant isomerization of initially formed 2b to 3b. Isomerization of 3,4,7,8-dibenzo-1,1,2,2,5,5,6,6-octamethyl-1,2,5,6-tetrasilacycloocta-3,7-diene ( 2a), analogous to 2b, also proceeded at 80°C in the presence of Pd(PPh 3) 4. Besides 4,5,7,8-dibenzo-1,1,2,2,3,3,6,6-octamethyl-1,2,3,6-tetrasilacycloocta-4,7-diene ( 3a), 4,5-benzo-1,1,2,3,3-pentamethyl-2-( o-trimethylsilylphenyl)-1,2,3-trisilacyclopentene ( 4a), 3,4,6,7-dibenzo-1,1,2,2,5,5-hexamethyl-1,2,5-trisilacycloheptadiene ( 5a) and 4,5-benzo-1,1,2,2,3,3,-hexamethyl-1,2,3-trisilacyclopentene ( 6a) were also formed. Mechanisms of the dimerization of 1b and isomerization of 2a and 2b are discussed.
Read full abstract