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Updated: Jun 29, 2025

Characterizing Lewis Pairs Using Titration Coupled with In Situ Infrared Spectroscopy
Published on: February 20, 2020
Frustrated Lewis pair adducts of alkynyl-capped tetrelenes
Abhishek V Muralidharan1, Brandon L Frenette1, Julius Wicke2
1Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Dr., Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G2, Canada. erivard@ualberta.ca.
Abstract:
The frustrated Lewis pair (FLP) adducts PB{ECl2} (PB = iPr2P(C6H4)BCy2; Cy = cyclohexyl; E = Si, Ge) were used to access a bis(alkynyl)-functionalized silylene and a germylene; the goal behind preparing these species was to obtain new unsaturated main group polymers [E(CCSiMe3)2] upon heating. While the silylene adduct PB{Si(CCSiMe3)2} was stable up to 150 °C, the heavier element congener PB{Ge(CCSiMe3)2} underwent a complicated rearrangement process accompanied by Cy-group migration and Ge(II)-alkyne coordination. Density functional theory computations were performed to understand the mechanistic pathway for the unusual rearrangement of PB{Ge(CCSiMe3)2}.
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