Synthesis and molecular structures of novel isopropyl-substituted oligosilanes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/cl.1999.595

The cyclotetrasilane [(i-Pr)₂Si]₄ reacts with K in benzene in the presence of 18-crown-6 to give the 1,4-dipotassio compound K[(i-Pr)₂Si]₄K (1). The reaction of 1 with (i-Pr)₂SiCl₂ and Me₃SiCl leads to the formation of the sterically crowded oligosilanes, [(i-Pr)₂Si]₅ (2) and Me₃Si[(i-Pr)₂Si]₄SiMe₃ (3), respectively. The molecular structures of the resulting oligosilanes, 2 and 3, display some unusual features.