Structures of tetrasilylmethane derivatives (XMe2Si)2C(SiMe3)2 (X = H, Cl, Br) in the gas phase, and their dynamic structures in solution.

The structures of the molecules (XMe2Si)2C(SiMe3)2, where X = H, Cl, Br, have been determined by gas electron diffraction (GED) using the SARACEN method of restraints, with all analogues existing in the gas phase as mixtures of C1- and C2-symmetric conformers. Variable temperature (1)H and (29)Si solution-phase NMR studies, as well as (13)C NMR and (1)H/(29)Si NMR shift correlation and (1)H NMR saturation transfer experiments for the chlorine and bromine analogues, are reported. At low temperatures in solution there appear to be two C1 conformers and two C2 conformers, agreeing with the isolated-molecule calculations used to guide the electron diffraction refinements. For (HMe2Si)2C(SiMe3)2 the calculations indicated six conformers close in energy, and these were modeled in the GED refinement.

The gas-phase structure and some reactions of the bulky primary silane (Me(3)Si)(3)CSiH(3) and the solid-state structure of the bulky dialkyl disilane [(Me(3)Si)(3)CSiH(2)](2).

The molecular structure of the bulky primary silane, (Me(3)Si)(3)CSiH(3), in the gas phase has been determined by electron diffraction. Photolysis of (Me(3)Si)(3)CSiH(3) affords a convenient route to the bulky dialkyl disilane, [(Me(3)Si)(3)CSiH(2)](2), which is the first 1,2-dialkyldisilane to be structurally characterised by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The disilane has an unusually large Si-Si-C angle of 120.05(9)°.