The relation between chemical constitution and the carcinogenic action of the azo dyes has not been as extensively investigated as in the case of polynuclear hydrocarbons. However, from the studies of the carcinogenic action of p-aminoazobenzene and its derivatives, it was found that methyl groups greatly enhance the potency of the parent azo dye, provided these groups occupy certain positions. For example, 4-N ,N-dimethylaminoaaobenzene (I) and its 2'-, 3'-, and 4'-methyl derivatives as well as 2-methyl-and 2 , 2'-dimethyl derivatives were found to possess carcinogenic potency (1). It was, therefore, thought to be of Ha C' I interest to study the carcinogenic action of some trimethylsilyl and triphenylsilyl derivatives of (I), to compare the effect of an RsSi group with a methyl group from the point of view of carcinogenic potency of the respective azo dyes. The second purpose was to examine the substantivity of these dyes for textile fibers, in order to find out if the substitution of the R3Si group has any favorable effect on their substantivity. We, therefore, have synthesized several siliconcontaining azo dyes, which are reported in this paper. The only silicon-containing azo compound reported in the literature is 4 ,4-' bis(triethylsilyl)azobenzene, obtained by the reduction of 4-nitrophenyltriethylsilane with zinc and sodium hydroxide (2).The preparation of the trimethylsilyl and triphenylsilyl derivatives of (I) met with certain difficulties. For example, attempts to prepare derivatives of (I) with an R3Si group in the benzene ring B have not been successful. The reaction of organolithium derivatives of aniline with the appropriate chlorosilanes yielded polymeric products rather than the trimethylsilyl-and triphenylsilylaniline required for coupling with dimethylaniline. Furthermore, the reduction of p-nitrophenyltrimethylsilane with hydrogen under pressure using Raney nickel as a catalyst is reported to give only a low over-all yield of the corresponding amine.' Therefore, our preliminary study was restricted to the preparation of dyes having an RsSi-substituent in the benzene ring A. The silicon-containing azo dyes were prepared by coupling organosilicon compounds with selected diazonium salts. The organosilicon compounds were synthesized by the action of trimethylsilyl chloride and triphenylsilyl chloride Unpublished studies by Dr. R. A. Benkeser. 1200