This laboratory has been interested in carben-stabilization of highly reactive main group compounds for some time. Such compounds included carbene-stabilized disilicon (L:Si=Si:L), diborene (L:(H)B=B(H):L, diphosphorus (L:P-P:L), and diarsenic (L:As-As:L) [L = N-heterocyclic carbene]. Recently we begun to explore the reactivity of these interesting molecules. We have obtained some very interesting results regarding the oxidation of these compounds. Specifically, we have shown that N2O and O2 oxidation of L:Si=Si:L affords carbene-stabilized Si2O3 and Si2O4. In contrast, O2 oxidation of L:P-P:L yields L:(O)2P-P(O)2:L, exclusively. We have also shown that carbon dioxide oxidation of L:Si=Si:L affords a novel silicon-carbon mixed oxide. This presentation will concern the experimental details of this chemistry and a possible roadmap to other important main group oxides.

Carbene-stabilized main group oxides

251st National Meeting (2016)

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