(Z)-1,2-Di(1-pyrenyl)disilene containing bulky 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octaethyl-s-hydrindacen-4-yl (Eind) groups has been obtained as purple crystals by the reductive coupling reaction of the corresponding dibromosilane with lithium naphthalenide. An X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed an Eind- and pyrenyl-meshed molecular gear around the disilene core adopting the Z configuration, in which the two pyrenyl groups intramolecularly interact through the π–π stacking with a distance of 3.635 Å between the centers of the two pyrene rings. The disilene π-system exhibits a π(Si–Si) → π*(pyrene) intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) fluorescence at room temperature, whose wavelengths depend on the solvent polarity. The photophysical properties are theoretically supported by computational studies including excited-state calculations.

A series of oligo(p-phenylenedisilenylene)s (Si-OPVs 1–4), silicon analogues of oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s, up to the tetramer have been synthesized and isolated by the introduction of a newly developed protecting group [(HexO)MEind] for improving their solubility. The experimental and theoretical studies of the Si-OPVs 1–4 demonstrate the fully extended π-conjugation of the Si-OPV main chains. Single crystal X-ray analyses of the monomer 1 and the dimer 2 revealed the highly coplanar Si-OPV backbones facilitating the effective extension of the π-conjugation, which has further been validated by the significant increases in the absorption maxima from 465 nm for the monomer 1 to 610 nm for the tetramer 4. The absorption maxima exhibit an excellent fit to Meier’s equation, leading to the estimation of an effective conjugation length (ECL) of 9 repeat units (nECL = 9) and the absorption maximum of 635 nm for the infinite chain (λ∞ = 635 nm). In sharp contrast to other nonemissive disilenes, the Si-OPVs 2–4 show an intense fluorescence from 613 to 668 nm at room temperature with the quantum yields up to 0.48. All the data presented here provide the first evidence for the efficient extended π-conjugation between the Si═Si double bonds and the carbon π-electron systems over the entire Si-OPV skeleton. This study reveals the possibility for developing the conjugated disilene π-systems, in which the Si═Si double bonds would be promising building blocks, significantly optimizing the intrinsic photophysical and electrochemical properties of the carbon-based π-conjugated materials.

Air-stable, room-temperature emissive di(2-naphthyl)disilene, protected by the bulky 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octaethyl-s-hydrindacen-4-yl (Eind) groups, can emit light in an organic light-emitting diode, thus providing the first experimental demonstration of electroluminescence from the heavy group 14 unsaturated compounds.

A room-temperature dynamic equilibrium between dibromodisilenes and bromosilylenes has been demonstrated by taking advantage of the steric protection using the fused-ring bulky 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octa-R-s-hydrindacen-4-yl (Rind) groups. Although the bromosilylenes cannot be directly observed by spectroscopic methods, the thermal homolytic cleavage of the Si═Si double bond has been confirmed by a pseudo-first-order kinetics for the trapping with bis(trimethylsilyl)acetylene and a crossover reaction using two kinds of Rind-substituted dibromodisilenes. The addition of 4-pyrrolidinopyridine (PPy) to the dibromodisilene leads to an equilibrium mixture between the dibromodisilene and a PPy adduct of bromosilylene, the latter being isolated and characterized. The substitution of the bromine atom in the dibromodisilene by the Grignard reagent is significantly accelerated by the addition of PPy.

Diborane(6) as a H-bridged dimer of monoborane can be converted cleanly by two-electron reduction into diborane(6) dianion, which is isoelectronic with ethane, through B–B σ-bond formation when each boron atom has a bulky ligand on it. The existence of the B–B σ bond is supported by the X-ray molecular structure [B–B bond length of 1.924(3) Å], NMR studies, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and DFT calculations. Stepwise hydride abstraction reactions of the diborane(6) dianion produce the corresponding H-bridged diborane(5) anion and doubly H-bridged diborane(4) without B–B bond scission.

p-Monothiobenzoquinones incorporated in a fused-ring octaalkyl-s-hydrindacene skeleton have been synthesized as air- and moisture-stable reddish orange crystals by the oxidation of mercaptophenol derivatives with DDQ, which have been characterized by X-ray crystallography to show a planar quinoid framework.

A series of neutral and cationic Au(I) complexes incorporating π-conjugated phosphasilene ligands stabilized by the bulky 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octa-R-substituted s-hydrindacen-4-yl (Rind) groups have been synthesized. X-ray crystallographic studies show the η1-coordination mode of the phosphasilene ligand, accommodating the linear trans two-coordinate geometry around the gold center. While the metal coordination slightly enhances the intensity of the strong π–π* absorption of the phosphasilene chromophores, the phosphashilene π-conjugation is not extended through the Au atom.

π-Conjugated disilenes with 2-naphthyl or 2-fluorenyl groups on the silicon atoms have been synthesized as air-stable emissive red solids using the bulky 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octaethyl-s-hydrindacen-4-yl (Eind) groups. The strong π−π* absorptions and distinct emission at room temperature, both in solution and in the solid state, have been observed due to the substantial contribution of the 3pπ*(Si−Si)−2pπ*(carbon π-electron system) conjugation.

In contrast to the common multiple bonding between carbon atoms, multiply bonded boron compounds have still been a synthetic challenge due to the electron deficiency of boron. We now report that a stable doubly hydrogen-bridged diborane(4), EindB(μ-H)2BEind, is produced by the two-electron oxidation of a hydrogen-substituted diborane(4) dianion [Li+(thf)]2[Eind(H)BB(H)Eind]2−, where Eind denotes the 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octaethyl-s-hydrindacen-4-yl. The X-ray crystallography reveals a short B−B distance of 1.4879(7) Å in comparison with the normal B−B single bond length (1.72 Å), the presence of two hydrogen atoms bridged perpendicular to the B−B bond with a butterfly shape having a dihedral angle of the two BHB triangles of 113(1)°, and a linear geometry around the B−B bond with a C−B−B bond angle of 178.92(4)°. These structural data, experimental electron density analysis, and computational studies confirm the 3-fold bonding (a σ and two π-like bonds) between the two boron atoms incorporating the two bridging hydrogen atoms.

Recent advances in the chemistry of π-conjugated disilenes stabilized by the newly developed bulky groups based on a fused-ring octa-R-substituted s-hydrindacene skeleton (Rind groups) are described. The synthesis and characterization of the disilenes with various aryl substituents on the silicon atoms are covered. The highly co-planar π-frameworks stabilized by the perpendicularly-fixed Rind groups are demonstrated by the X-ray crystallographic analysis. The extension of the π-conjugation over the diaryldisilene framework is visualized by the photophysical properties such as the UV-vis absorption spectra and the distinct emission both in solution and in the solid state at an ambient temperature.

π-Conjugated phosphasilenes with a variety of aryl substituents on the silicon atom have been synthesized by the use of a 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octaethyl-s-hydrindacen-4-yl (Eind) group. X-ray structural analysis shows the highly coplanar π-framework stabilized by the perpendicularly fixed Eind groups. The strong π−π* absorptions have been observed, demonstrating the extension of π-conjugation over the skeleton. The DFT calculations indicate that the LUMO involves the substantial contribution of the 3pπ*(Si−P)−2pπ*(carbon π-electron system) conjugation. The electrochemical properties of the phosphasilens are also presented.

Isolable mixed diorganocopper(I) complexes have been synthesized and structurally characterized by introducing a variety of bulky “Rind” groups based on a fused-ring octa-R-substituted s-hydrindacene skeleton. Treatment of RindLi with CuBr produced organobromocuprate dimers [Cu(Rind)/CuBr]2 or monomers Li[Cu(Rind)Br], depending on the steric bulkiness of the Rind ligands. Subsequent substitution of the bromine atoms in these complexes by lithium trimethylsilylacetylide gave dimeric and monomeric aryl(alkynyl)copper(I) complexes A and B, respectively. Complex B is the first isolable mixed diorganocuprate monomer formulated as LiCuRR′ and was found to selectively undergo oxidative cross-coupling of two different organic groups on copper.

Reductive coupling of a 9,10-dibromo-9,10-disilatriptycene derivative followed by treatment with chlorotrimethylsilane (TMSCl) affords a series of TMS-capped 9,10-disilatriptycene oligomers DSiT[n]. Each isomer, up to the pentamer (n = 5), can be separated using recycling gel permeation chromatography. The X-ray structural analysis of DSiT[2] shows that the six silicon atoms are linearly aligned in a rigid array structure. While the ultraviolet (UV) absorption maximum remains constant at 230 nm, irrespective of the chain length, the magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectra exhibit a red shift band near 245 nm, and the emission maximum steadily shifts from 319 to 337 nm as the number of silicon atom increases. These spectra indicate the occurrence of electronic delocalization along the one-dimensional arrangement of bridge-head disilane moieties.

Protic and Lewis acid-induced dephenylation reactions of bis(tetramethylene)-tethered bicyclic 1,3-diphenyltrisilane 1 have been found to be accompanied by a facile skeletal rearrangement that forms the ring-contracted silyl-substituted bicyclic disilanes. For the reaction with a protic acid (HX), such as HCl/AlCl3 and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (TfOH), the protonation of the ipso-carbon of the phenyl group would be followed by the nucleophilic attack of X− on the central silicon atom that induces the skeletal rearrangement. In the case of the reaction with boron trichloride, the same rearranged product was obtained as well, although the reaction mechanism is not clear.

Air-stable, room-temperature emissive di(2-naphthyl)disilene, protected by the bulky 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7-octaethyl-s-hydrindacen-4-yl (Eind) groups, can emit light in an organic light-emitting diode, thus providing the first experimental demonstration of electroluminescence from the heavy group 14 unsaturated compounds.

Recent advances in the chemistry of π-conjugated disilenes stabilized by the newly developed bulky groups based on a fused-ring octa-R-substituted s-hydrindacene skeleton (Rind groups) are described. The synthesis and characterization of the disilenes with various aryl substituents on the silicon atoms are covered. The highly co-planar π-frameworks stabilized by the perpendicularly-fixed Rind groups are demonstrated by the X-ray crystallographic analysis. The extension of the π-conjugation over the diaryldisilene framework is visualized by the photophysical properties such as the UV-vis absorption spectra and the distinct emission both in solution and in the solid state at an ambient temperature.