Direct photolysis of 1-phenylsilacyclobutane and 1-phenyl-, 1-(2-phenylethynyl)-, and 1-(4'- biphenylyl)-1-methylsilacyclobutane in hexane solution leads to the formation of ethylene and the corresponding 1-arylsilenes, which have been trapped by photolysis in the presence of methanol. Quantum yields for photolysis of the three methyl-substituted compounds have been determined to be 0.04, 0.26, and 0.29, respectively, using the ...
