1,2-Bis(ferrocenyl)disilene: A Multistep Redox System with an SiSi Double Bond

A new type of disilene substituted by ferrocenyl groups, 1,2-bis(ferrocenyl)disilene, was synthesized as a good candidate for a novel d−π electron system, and the unique properties of the SiSi π bond of this new disilene were revealed. On the basis of the results of the electrochemical analyses, 1,2-Tip2-1,2-Fc2-disilene (Tip = 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl, Fc = ferrocenyl) was found to be a stable five-electron redox system with four steps.