SILICON-COMPOUNDS WITH STRONG INTRAMOLECU LAR STERIC INTERACTIONS .51. ARYLISOCYANIDE INSERTIONS IN SI-SI BONDS OF SOME 4-RING SYSTEMS

Heating a mixture of a disilacyclobutane derivative with several aryl isocyanides leads to insertion of the isocyanide into the silicon-sili con bond, giving C,C-disilacyclopentanimines (5). The structure of the N-phenyl derivative (5a) was confirmed by X-ray crystallography. In t he presence of palladium(II) acetate as catalyst, octaphenylcyclotetra silane reacts with phenyl isocyanide to provide the corresponding tetr asilacyclopentanimine.