Kinetic stabilization of primary hydrides of main group elements. The synthesis of an air-stable, crystalline arsine and silane.

Two new, "user-friendly" derivatives of triptycene containing AsH(2) and SiH(3) fragments were synthesized. Both solids are crystalline, air-stable compounds characterized by elevated melting points and resistance toward moisture. The highly reactive As-H and Si-H bonds are protected by the presence of the surrounding phenylene hydrogen atoms, which ensure a remarkable kinetic stabilization of these primary hydrides. After X-ray irradiation of a single crystal of triptycenesilane, a persistent silyl radical was trapped and characterized.