Identification of Reacting States in Activated 1,1-dimethylsilacyclobutane

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/j100269a039

Insertion of 1CH2 into 1-methylsilacyclobutane produces an acitvated 1,1-dimethylsilacyclobutane (DMSCB) with approximately 118 kcal/mol of internal energy.This activated molecule yields a distribution of products virtually indistinguishable from that obtained by activating DMSCB with 254-nm photons.The cyclopropane yield is enhanced relative to the primary product, ethene, by the addition of Xe to either the chemically activated or photon activated system.More dramatic, the ratio of the intersystem crossing rate constant to the dissociation (to ethene) rate constant is the same in both systems.We conclude that the state reacting to produce ethene is the same for activation by either methylene insertion or photolysis at 254 nm.