Dihydrogen and Ethylene Activation by a Sterically Distorted Distibene.

Herein, we report the synthesis of a sterically distorted distibene ([4] ) and its transition-metal-like reactivity towards two fundamental feedstock chemicals: H and ethylene. Although [4] exhibits an unusually long Sb=Sb distance and noticeable backbone distortion in the solid state, NMR data suggest that [4] remains predominantly as a dimer in solution, even at high temperatures. However, it was proposed that the elusive reactivity of [4] toward H and ethylene results from reversible dissociation of [4] into the transient stibinidene ([4]), which could be observed by NMR spectroscopic techniques.