Linear and Bent Cp*₂ Si: Reversible Phase Transition of a Key Molecule

The solid-state structure of decamethylsilicocene Cp*₂ Si with a bent and a linear molecule in the same unit cell was so far considered an exception in relation to the structures of its all-bent heavier analogues Cp*₂ E with E=Ge, Sn, Pb. Here, we present the solution to this conundrum by reporting a low-temperature phase, where all three symmetrically independent molecules are present in a bent formation. This reversible enantiotropic phase transition occurs in the temperature range between 80 K and 130 K and provides a rationale for the unexpected linear molecule based in entropy beyond hand-waving explanations such as electronic reasons or packing effects.