Disilane Cleavage with Selected Alkali and Alkaline Earth Metal Salts.

The industry-scale production of methylchloromonosilanes in the Müller-Rochow Direct Process is accompanied by the formation of a residue, the direct process residue (DPR), comprised of disilanes Men Si2 Cl6-n (n=1-6). Great research efforts have been devoted to the recycling of these disilanes into monosilanes to allow reintroduction into the siloxane production chain. In this work, disilane cleavage by using alkali and alkaline earth metal salts is reported. The reaction with metal hydrides, in particular lithium hydride (LiH), leads to efficient reduction of chlorine containing disilanes but also induces disproportionation into mono- and oligosilanes. Alkali and alkaline earth chlorides, formed in the course of the reduction, specifically induce disproportionation of highly chlorinated disilanes, whereas highly methylated disilanes (n>3) remain unreacted. Nearly quantitative DPR conversion into monosilanes was achieved by using concentrated HCl/ether solutions in the presence of lithium chloride.

Making Use of the Direct Process Residue: Synthesis of Bifunctional Monosilanes.

The industrial production of monosilanes Men SiCl4-n (n=1-3) through the Müller-Rochow Direct Process generates disilanes Men Si2 Cl6-n (n=2-6) as unwanted byproducts ("Direct Process Residue", DPR) by the thousands of tons annually, large quantities of which are usually disposed of by incineration. Herein we report a surprisingly facile and highly effective protocol for conversion of the DPR: hydrogenation with complex metal hydrides followed by Si-Si bond cleavage with HCl/ether solutions gives (mostly bifunctional) monosilanes in excellent yields. Competing side reactions are efficiently suppressed by the appropriate choice of reaction conditions.

Synthesis of Functional Monosilanes by Disilane Cleavage with Phosphonium Chlorides.

The Müller-Rochow direct process (DP) for the large-scale production of methylchlorosilanes Men SiCl4-n (n=1-3) generates a disilane residue (Men Si2 Cl6-n , n=1-6, DPR) in thousands of tons annually. This report is on methylchlorodisilane cleavage reactions with use of phosphonium chlorides as the cleavage catalysts and reaction partners to preferably obtain bifunctional monosilanes Mex SiHy Clz (x=2, y=z=1; x,y=1, z=2; x=z=1, y=2). Product formation is controlled by the reaction temperature, the amount of phosphonium chloride employed, the choice of substituents at the phosphorus atom, and optionally by the presence of hydrogen chloride, dissolved in ethers, in the reaction mixture. Replacement of chloro by hydrido substituents at the disilane backbone strongly increases the overall efficiency of disilane cleavage, which allows nearly quantitative silane monomer formation under comparably moderate conditions. This efficient workup of the DPR thus not only increases the economic value of the DP, but also minimizes environmental pollution.

Tris(trichlorosilyl)tetrelide Anions and a Comparative Study of Their Donor Qualities.

Trichlorosilylated tetrelides [(Cl3 Si)3 E]- have been prepared by adding 1 equiv of a soluble Cl- salt to (Cl3 Si)4 Si (E=Si) or 4 Si2 Cl6 /GeCl4 (E=Ge). To assess their donor qualities, the anions [(Cl3 Si)3 E]- (E=C, Si, Ge) have been treated with BCl3 , AlCl3 , and GaCl3 . Both BCl3 and GaCl3 give 1:1 adducts with the anionic centers. AlCl3 leads to Cl- abstraction from [(Cl3 Si)3 E]- with formation of (Cl3 Si)4 E (E=Si or Ge). (Cl3 Si)4 Ge is cleanly converted to the perhydrogenated (H3 Si)4 Ge by use of Li[AlH4 ]. Another case of Cl- abstraction was observed for [(Cl3 Si)3 Ge⋅GaCl3 ]- , which reacts with GaCl3 to afford the neutral dimer [(Cl3 Si)3 Ge-GaCl2 ]2 .

Lewis Base Catalyzed Selective Chlorination of Monosilanes.

A preparatively facile, highly selective synthesis of bifunctional monosilanes R2 SiHCl, RSiHCl2 and RSiH2 Cl is reported. By chlorination of R2 SiH2 and RSiH3 with concentrated HCl/ether solutions, the stepwise introduction of Si-Cl bonds is readily controlled by temperature and reaction time for a broad range of substrates. In a combined experimental and computational study, we establish a new mode of Si-H bond activation assisted by Lewis bases such as ethers, amines, phosphines, and chloride ions. Elucidation of the underlying reaction mechanisms shows that alcohol assistance through hydrogen-bond networks is equally efficient and selective. Remarkably, formation of alkoxysilanes or siloxanes is not observed under moderate reaction conditions.