Silanimines insertion reactions

Insertion of the Si=N bond into polar bonds is the most used reaction for the characterization of very reactive and transient silanimines. Especially, the reaction with alcohols is often the first reaction to be carried out with silicon-nitrogen multiple bond systems. Other reagents used for insertion reactions are amines, water and alkoxysilanes (equation 269)300,303,306,311,351-353. The insertion into E—X bonds (E = Si, Ge, Sn X = Cl, OR, NR2, N3) has been shown earlier in this review for the insertion into the Si—N bond of silyl azides310,351. A reaction reported is the insertion of 678 into the C—H... 

In this section we will review the computational studies on reactions of silylenes, mainly addition and insertion reactions. Some reactions, in particular the following isomeriz-ations of silylenes to the corresponding multiply bonded species, were discussed above (a) to silaethylene in Section V.A.l.a.v, (b) to substituted silenes in Section V.A.l.b.iv, (c) to disilenes in Sections V.A.2.d and f, (d) to silanimines in Section Y.A.3, (e) to silanephos-phimines in Section V.A.4, (f) to silanones in Section V.A.5, (g) to silanethiones in Section V.A.6, (h) to silynes in Section V.B.l, (i) to disilynes in Section V.B.2, (j) to aromatic compounds in Section VI.A and to antiaromatic compounds in Section VI.D. 

The thus formed heterocycles 412a decompose or isomerize thermally the required reaction temperature depends on the substituents. The isomerization leads to diazomethane derivatives 413a, whereas the decomposition by [2 + 3] cycloreversion reaction gives bis(trimethylsilyl)diazomethane and short-lived silanimines 414a, which dimerize in most cases. The ratio isomerization/cycloreversion depends on R, the solvent and the temperature and more cycloreversion is observed at higher temperature. An unfavourable side reaction is the insertion of Me2Si=NR into Si—N bonds (formation of 415a and 686 see below). 

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