A monatomic zerovalent silicon(0) complex ("silylone") stabilized by the chelating bis(silylenyl)-ortho-carborane ligand, 1,2-(LSi)2-1,2-C2B10H10 [L = PhC(NtBu)2], has been synthesized from the redox reaction of the dipotassium bis(silylenyl)-nido-carboranate salt, 1,2-(LSi)2-1,2-C2B10H10K2, and NHC-SiCl2 (NHC = {[HCN(2,6-iPr2C6H3)]2C:}). Markedly different from previous examples, this silylone undergoes reduction due to the closo-C2B10 cluster backbone, which is prone to accept up to two electrons to form the cage-opened dianionic nido-C2B10 cluster core. Surprisingly, the closo-C2B10 core of the silylone consumes only one molar equiv of potassium naphthalenide, in addition, one electron is intramolecularly transferred from the Si0 atom to the C2B10 core to form an elusive bis(silylene)-stabilized SiI radical cation which undergoes homocoupling to the corresponding isolable dicationic SiI-SiI complex.

Department of General and Inorganic Chemistry Faculty of Chemical Technology University of Pardubice Studentska 573 532 10 Pardubice Czech Republic

Metalorganics and Inorganic Materials Department of Chemistry Technische Universität Berlin Straße des 17 Juni 135 Sekr C2 10623 Berlin Germany

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Access to cationic polyhedral carboranes via dynamic cage surgery with N-heterocyclic carbenes

Changing the Reactivity of Zero- and Mono-Valent Germanium with a Redox Non-Innocent Bis(silylenyl)carborane Ligand

Bis(silylene)-Stabilized Monovalent Nitrogen Complexes