Heavy allenes and cumulenes e=c=e' and e=c=c=e' (e = p, as, si, ge, sn; e' = C, N, p, as, o, s)

Preparation, structure, and reaction of a sterically encumbered 1-phosphaallene containing a cyclopropylidene moiety

[reaction: see text] Sterically protected (Z)-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-2,5-dibromo-1-phosphapent-1-ene was allowed to react with potassium tert-butoxide to afford a cyclopropylidenephosphaethene, which was characterized spectroscopically and by X-ray crystallography. Construction of the cycloalkyl groups and isomerization of 1-phosphapenta-1,2,4-trienes to cyclopropylidenephosphaethenes are also described.

A stable silicon-based allene analogue with a formally sp-hybridized silicon atom

Carbon chemistry exhibits a rich variety in bonding patterns, with homo- or heteronuclear multiple bonds involving sp-hybridized carbon atoms as found in molecules such as acetylenes, nitriles, allenes and carbon dioxide. Carbon's heavier homologues in group 14 of the periodic table--including silicon, germanium and tin--were long thought incapable of forming multiple bonds because of the less effective p(pi)-p(pi) orbital overlap involved in the multiple bonds. However, bulky substituents can protect unsaturated bonds and stabilize compounds with formally sp-hybridized heavy group-14 atoms: stable germanium, tin and lead analogues of acetylene derivatives and a marginally stable tristannaallene have now been reported. However, no stable silicon compounds with formal sp-silicon atoms have been isolated. Evidence for the existence of a persistent disilaacetylene and trapping of transient 2-silaallenes and other X = Si = X' type compounds (X, X' = O, CR2, NR, and so on) are also known, but stable silicon compounds with formally sp-hybridized silicon atoms have not yet been isolated. Here we report the synthesis of a thermally stable, crystalline trisilaallene derivative containing a formally sp-hybridized silicon atom. We find that, in contrast to linear carbon allenes, the trisilaallene is significantly bent. The central silicon in the molecule is dynamically disordered, which we ascribe to ready rotation of the central silicon atom around the molecular axis.

Preparation of sterically protected 3,4-bis[(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)phosphinidene]cyclobutene derivatives having ring-fused structures

[reaction: see text] Sterically protected 3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutenes, having ring-fused structures, were prepared. Structures of 8,9-bis[(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)phosphinidene]bicyclo[5.2.0]non-1(7)-ene and its dichloropalladium(II) complex were analyzed by X-ray crystallography. A geometrical change induced by the complex formation was exhibited by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The geometrical change in solution was also suggested by (1)H NMR spectroscopy in CDCl(3).

A theoretical study of the structures, energetics, stabilities, reactivities, and out-of-plane distortive tendencies of skeletally substituted benzenes (CH)(5)XH and (CH)(4)(XH)(2) (X = B(-), N(+), Al(-), Si, P(+), Ga(-), Ge, and As(+))

Ab initio molecular orbital theory at Hartree-Fock (HF), post-Hartree-Fock (MP2 and CCSD(T)), and the hybrid density functional theory (B3LYP) calculations were done on the mono-(CH)(5)XH and diskeletally substituted (CH)(4)(XH)(2) benzenes (X = B(-), N(+), Al(-), Si, P(+), Ga(-), Ge, and As(+)). The computed relative energies of the disubstituted isomers show interesting trends. While the ortho-isomer is the most stable for X = Ga(-), Ge, and As(+), meta was found to be the most stable for X = B(-), N(+), Al(-) and Si, and para was found to be the most stable for X = P(+). Various intricate factors that govern the relative stabilities, such as the sum of bond strengths in the twin Kekule forms, rule of topological charge stabilization (TCS), and electrostatic repulsion were critically examined. The sum of bond strengths in the twin Kekule forms was proved to be quite a successful measure in predicting the relative stability orders between ortho- and meta-/para-isomers. The rule of TCS breaks down especially in the presence of overwhelming factors such as the differences in the cumulative bond strengths of the two positional isomers; however, the stability ordering between the para- and meta-isomers is successfully predicted in most cases. The tendency for ring puckering increases a great deal especially when the substituents are from 3rd or 4th row. Extension of the popular inverse relationship between the thermodynamic stability and reactivity was found to be inapplicable for this class of compounds. The computed singlet-triplet energy differences and the chemical hardness (eta) values indicate that the skeletal substitution weakens the pi-strength of the benzenoid system and increases their reactivity.