Recent topics in the chemistry of heavier congeners of carbenes

All rights reserved.Several recent topics in the chemistry of divalent species of heavier Group 14 elements, i.e. the heavier congeners of carbenes, are outlined. As the main topics, the synthesis, structure and properties of stable silylenes are described together with those of related divalent species of the other Group 14 elements. Also, some detailed descriptions are allotted to new aspects in the relationship between the divalent species and the corresponding double-bond species of heavier Group 14 elements. Both electronic stabilization by heteroatom-containing substituents and kinetic stabilization by bulky substituents play very important roles in the advances of the chemistry of these interesting low-coordinate species. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.