Game of Dice: Synthesis and Characterisation of Molecular Compounds of the Systems Sn/E and Pb/E (E = P/As)

The heterocubane-like molecules [tBu(2)PhSiESn](4) (E = P (2), As (3)) and [(Me3Si)(3)SiPM](4) (M = Sn (4), Pb (5)) were obtained by the reaction of primary silyl phosphines or -arsines with M{N(SiMe3)(2)}(2). Likewise, the reactions of the miscellaneously substituted arsine (Me3Si)(3)SiAs(SiMe3)(2) (1) with MCl2 yielded the heterocubane species [(Me3Si)(3)SiAsM](4) (M = Sn (8), Pb (9)). The unique cage compounds [(tBu(2)PhSiAs)(4)Sn3LiOEt2](-) [Li(Et2O)(4)](+) (6) and [(tBu(2)PhSiAsSn)(4)SnCl(Bu)](4) (7) could be obtained in a metathesis reaction of SnCl2 with the lithiated silylarsine tBu(2)PhSiAsLi(2) in different stoichiometric percentages.