Generation of Stannabenzenes and Their Properties

Stannabenzenes 3, neutral stannaaromatic compounds having the simplest aromatic unit, were successfully generated by the reaction of the corresponding bromostannanes 5-Br with lithium diisopropylamide in hexane at −40 °C. The generation of 3 was indicated by the formation of the [4 + 2] dimer 6 at room temperature. The thermal stability of 3 was completely different from that of the sila- and germabenzenes bearing the same substituent. The structural and electronic properties of stannabenzene were estimated by theoretical calculations.