Synthesis of a Tungsten–Silylyne Complex via Stepwise Proton and Hydride Abstraction from a Hydrido Hydrosilylene Complex

Treatment of the hydrido hydrosilylene complex Cp*­(CO)2(H)­WSi­(H)­Tsi (1; Tsi = C­(SiMe3)3) with 1 equiv of MeIiPr (MeIiPr = 1,3-diisopropyl-4,5-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene) caused deprotonation to afford the anionic silylene complex [Cp*­(CO)2WSi­(H)­Tsi]­[HMeIiPr] (2). The hydrogen on the silylene ligand of 2 was then abstracted as a hydride with 2 equiv of B­(C6F5)3 to give a mixture of 1 and tungsten–silylyne complex Cp*­(CO)2WSiTsi (4), from which 4 was isolated in pure form. The molecular structure of 4 was determined by X-ray crystal structure analysis.