Formation of 1,2,3,6-dioxadisilin in photo-induced electron transfer oxygenation of 1,2-disiletene

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0040-4039(91)80233-V

Photo-induced electron transfer oxygenation of 3-phenyl-1,1,2,2-tetramesityl-1,2-disiletene (1) in acetonitrile-methylene chloride afforded the corresponding 1,2,3,6-dioxadisilin (2) in moderate yield as a dioxygen insertion product into a silicon-silicon σ-bond together with 1,2,5-oxadisilolene (3). The results are reasonably accounted for by an electron transfer from disiletene 1 to the excited singlet state of the sensitizer to from a radical ion pair followed by addition of oxygen.