Multiple bonds to silicon: 20 years later

The discovery of stable compounds containing Si-C and Si-Si bonds in 1981 led to the overturning of the 'double bond rule', and paved the way for the recent explosive growth in multiple bond chemistry of the heavier elements. This paper traces the events leading up to the 1981 discoveries, summarizes some of the developments in multiply-bonded silicon chemistry since that date, and outlines challenges for further research in this area, (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.