A persistent silyl radical, tris(t-butyldimethylsilyl)silyl radical, (t-BuM
e2Si)(3)Si . (1), was produced by two new methods in addition to a conventi
onal hydrogen abstraction from the corresponding hydrosilane: one-electron
oxidation of (t-BuMe2Si)(3)SiNa (2) by NO+BF4- and one-electron reduction o
f (t-BuMe2Si)(3)SiBr (3) by sodium.