Tetrahedro-tetrasilane

Remarkably, most reactions do not take place at the unsaturated part of the molecule, presumably because of the steric shielding of the Si=Si double bond by the bulky t-Bu3Si groups, but rather proceed through substitution of the iodine atoms. The reaction of 150 with water affords the product 160, whereas that with methanol furnishes compound 158 with retention of the tetrasilacyclobutene skeleton. On treatment of 150 with NaR the tetrahedro-tetrasilane 149 — the starting material for the preparation of 150 — is reformed. Finally, the reaction with BI3 proceeds with abstraction of an iodide ion to form the ionic compound 159140. 

The Reaction ofTetrasupersilyl-tetrahedro-tetrasilane with Iodine 125... 

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