Disilene anion radical synthesis

Scheme 6.12.1 Synthesis of Disilene Anion Radical [LithiumltetrahydrofuranM Tetrakis(di-tbutylmethylsilyl) disilene Anion Radical.

A. Sekiguchi, S. Inoue, M. Ichinoche and Y. Arai, Isolable anion radical of blue disilene (,Bu2MeSi)2Si=Si(SiMeiBu2)2 formed upon one-electron reduction synthesis and characterization. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 126, 9626-29 (2004). 

Removal of halogen from a vicinal dihalide with zinc can be used to form olefins, although it is not a common method for alkene synthesis. Similarly, dehalogenation of >SiX-SiX< with alkali metals appears to be successful in a limited sense. When R2Si(X)Si(X)R2 (R = t-Bu X = C1, Br) or RR Si(Cl)Si(Cl)RR (R = t-Bu R = c-C6H,) are reacted with lithium (sodium or potassium), the radical anion of the disilene is formed which is particularly long-lived in the latter case181. However, several intermediate... 

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