An isolable donor-stabilized silavinylidene phosphorane was synthesized. This molecule, which can also be regarded as a new carbon(0) complex featuring a phosphine and a donor-stabilized silylene ligand, presents a central carbon atom with a remarkably high electron density (-1.82). Furthermore, the experimental electron-density study of this compound demonstrates the delocalization of the σ-lone pair at the central carbon atom toward the silicon center, a feature which is remarkably different from electronic situation of other bent-allene-type molecules. This result clearly demonstrates the powerful electron-donating ability of donor-stabilized silylene ligands, as well as their excellent electron-acceptor properties.
Keywords: allenes; density functional calculations; silylenes; structure elucidation; ylides.
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