New aspects in the chemistry of multiple-bonds to heteroatoms

The recent applications of an extremely bulky and efficient steric protecti on group, 2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phe (denoted as Tbt in this article) to the kinetic stabilization of a variety of multiple-bonds to het eroatoms are described. The main topics are as follows: (i) the first isola tion and characterization of stable antimony-antimony double-bond compound (distibene) and its bismuth analogue (dibismuthene), long-sought doubly bon ded compounds between heavier group 15 elements, and (ii) the successful sy nthesis of stable silabenzene and 2-silanaphthalene, the first examples of stable silaaromatics.