There is growing interest in compounds containing functionalized E=E multiple bonds (E=Si, Ge, Sn, Pb) because of their potential to exhibit novel physical and chemical properties. However, compounds containing multiple functionalizations are rare, with scarcity increasing with increasing degree of substitution. The first ditetrelene R2 E=ER2 in which the E=E bond is substituted by four heteroatoms (other than Si) is described. The tetraphosphadisilene {(Mes)2 P}2 Si=Si{P(Mes)2 }2 (7) is readily isolated from the reaction between SiBr4 and [(Mes)2 P]Li, the latter of which acts as a sacrificial reducing agent. The structure of 7 is presented, while the bonding in, and stability of 7 were probed using DFT calculations.
Keywords: DFT calculations; crystal structures; multiple bonds; phosphorus; silicon.
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