Hydrogenation of 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,4-disilacyclohexa-2,5-diene (2) to 1,1,4,4-tetraphenyl-1,4-disilacyclohexane (1) provides an efficient new route to 1,4-disilacyclohexanes with isolated overall yields 10 times higher than previously available syntheses. Molecular and crystal structures of 1 and 2 determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction show that the saturated compound 1 adopts the ideal chairlike conformation, while the unsaturated analogue 2 has a planar 1,4-disilacyclohexa-2,5-diene ring. Ab initio geometry optimizations and vibrational frequency calculations at the 3-21G*/SCF level of theory confirm that the orientations of the phenyl rings observed in 1 represents the global minimum on the potentialenergy surface. Calculations of the transition state for the phenyl ring rotations in 1 reveal a barrier height of ∆G q ) 4.09 kcal/mol. Energy profiles of chairlike and boatlike distortions of 1,4-disilacyclohexa-2,5-diene (12) were calculated and compared with the observed deviation from planarity in other derivatives of 12. Calculation of ring strain energies revealed that diene 12 and its saturated analogue 1,4-disilacyclohexane (4) are almost strain free (1.2 and 0.7 kcal/mol, respectively), resembling their carbon analogues.