Strikingly diverse reactivity of structurally identical silylene and stannylene

Abstract

The reactivity of structurally identical silylene and stannylene [PhC(NtBu)₂EN(SiMe₃)₂] (E = Si (1) and Sn (2)) towards coinage metals has been explored. While 1 has the propensity to form an adduct with coinage metals (4 and 5), 2 undergoes a ligand exchange reaction with copper halides and silver triflate leading to PhC(NtBu)₂SnX (X = Br (6), Cl (7), and OSO₂CF₃ (8)) with concomitant formation of [M{N(SiMe₃)₂}] (M = Cu, Ag). However, with AgSbF₆ both 1 and 2 led to ion pairs, 9⁺·SbF₆^–and 10⁺·SbF₆^– displaying weaker Ag⋯·F interactions in the latter.