Organometallics, 20, 4537-4541 (2001).

© 2001 American Chemical Society

Arrhenius Parameters for the Head-to-Tail Dimerization of 1,1-Diphenylsilene and 1,1-Diphenylgermene in solution

Tracy L. Morkin and William J. Leigh*

Contribution from the Department of Chemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON  Canada  L8S 4M1

Abstract: Arrhenius parameters for the head-to-tail dimerization of 1,1-diphenylsilene and 1,1-diphenylgermene have been determined in hexane solution by nanosecond laser flash photolysis. Both compounds exhibit near-zero activation barriers over the range of 0-60°C, and pre-exponential factors of ca. 10⁹ and 10¹⁰ M^-1s^-1, respectively. A concerted mechanism is proposed for dimerization of the silene, while in the case of the germene a stepwise mechanism cannot be ruled out.

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