C60-sensitized bis-silylation of nitrile and carbonyl compounds with disilirane

The photochemical reaction of disilirane with unsaturated compounds such as nitrile, ketone and aldehyde in the presence of C60 with a halogen lamp (cutoff <400 nm) affords the corresponding adducts of disilirane and unsaturated compounds as bis-silylated products. The experimental results by using laser flash photolysis technique confirm the formation of the adducts via a photoinduced electron transfer process between 1 and 3C60*. In this bis-silylation reaction, C60 serves as a sensitizer.