Kinetic Stabilization of Primary Hydrides of Main Group Elements. The Synthesis of an Air-Stable, Crystalline Arsine and Silane

Two new, “user-friendly” derivatives of triptycene containing AsH2
and SiH3 fragments were synthesized. Both solids are crystalline,
air-stable compounds characterized by elevated melting points and
resistance toward moisture. The highly reactive As−H and Si−H
bonds are protected by the presence of the surrounding phenylene
hydrogen atoms, which ensure a remarkable kinetic stabilization
of these primary hydrides. After X-ray irradiation of a single crystal
of triptycenesilane, a persistent silyl radical was trapped and
characterized.