Synthesis of Homocyclic Silylenes as Metal-Free Catalysts

The investigation of metal-free catalytic processes is of significant interest in contemporary main group chemistry. This research is driven by the potential of a remarkable cost reduction and by the pursuit of finding environmentally friendly systems that fully circumvent the need of transition metals. As a result of the high abundance and low toxicity of silicon, silylenes are currently closely investigated as possible catalysts. For this purpose, a general synthetic strategy towards the synthesis of homocyclic silylenes is proposed, which allows the step-economical formation of this species. The high activity of these catalysts will be demonstrated by the activation of selected examples of small molecules.