The reaction of 9,10-dibromo-9,10-dihydro-9,10-diboraanthracene (9,10-dibromo-DBA, 3) with two equivalents of 9-lithio-2,6- or 9-lithio-2,7-di-tert-butylanthracene gave the corresponding 9,10-dianthryl-DBAs featuring two (4) or four (5) inward-pointing tert-butyl groups. Compound 4 exists as two atropisomers, 4 and 4', due to hindered rotation about the exocyclic B-C bonds. X-ray crystallography of 5 suggests that the overall interactions between facing tert-butyl groups are attractive rather than repulsive. Even in solution, 4/4' and 5 are stable toward air and moisture for several hours. Treatment of 3 with 10-lithio-9-R-2,7-di-tert-butylanthracenes carrying phenyl (R=Ph), dimesitylboryl (R=Mes(2)B), or N,N-di(p-tolyl)amino (R=Tol(2)N) groups gave the corresponding 9,10-dianthryl-DBA derivatives 9-11 in moderate to good yields. In these molecules, all four solubilizing tert-butyl groups are outward pointing. The solid-state structures of 4, 5, 9, and 10 reveal twisted conformations about the exocyclic B-C bonds with dihedral angles of 70-90°. A significant electron-withdrawing character was proven for the Mes(2)B moiety, but no appreciable +M effect was evident for Tol(2)N. Compounds 5, 9, and 11 show two reversible DBA-centered reduction waves in the cyclic voltammogram. In the case of 10, a third reversible redox transition can be assigned to the Mes(2)B-anthryl substituents. The UV/Vis absorption spectrum of 5 is characterized by a very broad band at λ(max)=510 nm, attributable to a twisted intramolecular charge-transfer interaction from the anthryl donors to the DBA acceptor. The corresponding emission band shows pronounced positive solvatochromism (λ(em)=567 nm, C(6)H(12); 680 nm, CH(2)Cl(2)) in line with a highly polar excited state. The charge-transfer bands of 10 and 11, as well as the emission bands of 9 and 10, are redshifted relative to those of 5. The Tol(2)N derivative 11 is essentially nonfluorescent in solution, but emits bright wine-red light in the solid state.

The tetraphosphenediides M2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3] (M = Li, Na, K) were accessible by the reaction of P4 with the silanides M[Si-t-Bu3] (M = Li, Na, K), whereas M2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3] (M = Rb, Cs) were obtained from the reaction of RbCl and CsF with Na2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3]. 31P NMR experiments revealed that, in tetrahydrofuran, Na2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3] adopts a cis configuration. However, treatment of Na2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3] with 18-crown-6 led to the formation of [Na(18-crown-6)(thf)2]2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3] that possesses a trans configuration in the solid state. The ion-separated tetraphosphenediide [Na(18-crown-6)(thf)2]2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3] was analyzed using X-ray crystallography (monoclinic, space group P2(1)/n). The reaction of Na2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3] with BaI2 gave, conveniently, the corresponding barium derivative Ba[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3]. However, addition of AuI to the tetraphosphenediide Na2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3] yielded 1,3-diiodo-2,4-disupersilyl-cyclotetraphosphane (monoclinic, space group C2/c), which is an isomer of disupersilylated diiodotetraphosphene. A further isomeric derivative of disupersilylated tetraphosphene, the 3,5-disupersilyl-2,2-di-tert-butyl-2-stanna-bicyclo[2.1.0(1,4)]pentaphosphane, which possesses a phosphanylcyclotriphosphane structure, was obtained by the reaction of Na2[t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3] with t-Bu2SnCl2. Calculations revealed that the acyclic cis and trans isomers of the dianions [HPPPPH]2- and [H3SiPPPPSiH3]2- are thermodynamically more stable than the cyclic isomers with a phosphanylcyclotriphosphane or a cyclotetraphosphane structure. However, the neutral cyclic isomers of H4P4 and H2(H3Si)2P4 represent more stable structures than the cis- and trans-tetraphosphenes H2P-P=P-PH2 and (H3Si)HP-P=P-PH(SiH3), respectively. In addition, the molecular orbitals (MOs) of the silylated cis- and trans-tetraphosphene dianions of [H3SiPPPPSiH3]2-, which are comparable with those of the ion-separated supersilylated tetraphosphenediide [t-Bu3SiPPPPSi-t-Bu3]2-, show the highest occupied antibonding pi*MO (HOMO). The HOMO is represented by the (p(z)-p(z)+p(z)-p(z)) pi* MO.

The di- and trinuclear ferrocene species Li[Fc-BPh(2)-Fc] (Li[]) and Li(2)[Fc-BPh(2)-fc-BPh(2)-Fc] (Li(2)[]) have been investigated with regard to their electrochemical properties and the degree of intervalence charge-transfer after partial oxidation. Li[] shows two distinct one-electron redox waves for its chemically equivalent ferrocenyl substituents in the cyclic voltammogram (E(1/2) = -0.38 V, -0.64 V; vs. FcH/FcH(+)). The corresponding values of Li(2)[] are E(1/2) = -0.45 V (two-electron process) and -1.18 V. All these redox events are reversible at r. t. on the time scale of cyclic voltammetry. X-ray crystallography on the mixed-valent Fe(II)(2)Fe(III) complex Li(12-c-4)(2)[] reveals the centroid-centroid distance between the cyclopentadienyl rings of each of the terminal ferrocenyl substituents (3.329 A) to be significantly smaller than in the central 1,1'-ferrocenediyl fragment (3.420 A). This points towards a charge-localized structure (on the time scale of X-ray crystallography) with the central iron atom being in the Fe(III) state. Mössbauer spectroscopic measurements on Li(12-c-4)(2)[] lend further support to this interpretation. Spectroelectrochemical measurements on Li[] and Li(2)[] in the wavelength range between 300-2800 nm do not show bands interpretable as intervalence charge-transfer absorptions for the mixed-valent states. All data accumulated so far lead to the conclusion that electronic interaction between the individual Fe atoms in Li[] and Li(2)[] occurs via a through-space pathway and/or is electrostatic in nature.

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A one-pot synthesis of the tetrasilatetrahedrane (tBu 3 Si) 4 Si 4 was achieved by the reaction of HSiCl 3 and Na[SitBu 3 ]. In this reaction the silane tBu 3 SiH was obtained along with (tBu 3 Si) 4 Si 4 and tBu 3 SiSitBu 3 . The tetrasilatetrahedrane (tBu 3 Si) 4 Si 4 was also obtained via a one-pot approach by treatment of Cl 3 SiSiCl 3 or Cl 3 SiSiCl 2 SiCl 3 with Na-[SitBu 3 ]. In the reaction of HSiCl 3 with Na[SitBu 3 ], two molecules of the tetrasilatetrahedrane (tBu 3 Si) 4 Si 4 crystallize together with one molecule of tBu 3 SiSitBu 3 and one molecule of benzene. Single crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction composed of one molecule of (tBu 3 Si) 4 Si 4 and two molecules of benzene were obtained by recrystallization from benzene.