Intermediacy of silylene and germylene in direct synthesis of organosilanes and organogermanes

In the direct synthesis of silicon compounds by reactions of elemental silicon with methyl chloride, methanol and hydrogen chloride, silylene formed on surface of silicon grains during the reaction is an intermediate. The reaction of surface silylene with a variety of unsaturated hydrocarbons provides new direct synthesis of organosilanes. In the direct synthesis of methylchlorogermanes from elemental germanium, surface germylene is not an intermediate, while tetrachlorogermane is synthesized by the direct reaction of germanium with hydrogen chloride via dichlorogermylene intermediate. Various unsaturated hydrocarbons or organic chlorides added to the system of tetrachlorogermane synthesis give new methods for the synthesis of organogermanes.     

Organotrichlorogermane synthesis by the reaction of elemental germanium, tetrachlorogermane and organic chloride via dichlorogermylene intermediate

Organotrichlorogermanes were synthesized by the reaction of elemental germanium, tetrachlorogermane and organic chlorides, methyl, propyl, isopropyl and allyl chlorides. Dichlorogermylene formed by the reaction of elemental germanium with tetrachlorogermane was the reaction intermediate, which was inserted into the carbon-chlorine bond of the organic chloride to give organotrichlorogermane. When isopropyl or allyl chloride was used as an organic chloride, organotrichlorogermane was formed also in the absence of tetrachlorogermane. These chlorides were converted to hydrogen chloride, which subsequently reacted with elemental germanium to give the dichlorogermylene intermediate. The reaction of elemental germanium, tetrachlorogermane and organic chlorides provides a simple and easy method for synthesizing organotrichlorogermanes, and all the raw materials are easily available.     

Thermodynamic assessment of the copper catalyzed direct synthesis of methylchlorosilanes

The copper catalyzed direct synthesis of methylchlorosilanes is a reaction of enormous complexity. Although, there is a general acceptance about a silylenoide based reaction mechanism, many details of the reaction are not yet fully understood. The present work is a comprehensive thermodynamic study on the reaction system of the direct synthesis. The calculations are based on a broad database containing the elements, all silanes, chlorosilanes, methylsilanes, and methylchlorosilanes with one Si atom, hydrocarbons and chlorinated hydrocarbons as well as other relevant compounds in the system Si-C-H-Cl. A calculation of the reaction between silicon and methylchloride, excluding only SiC as an unlikely reaction product, results in the total decomposition of methylchloride and the formation carbon, methane, hydrogen, trichlorosilane, and silicon tetrachloride. The systematic suppression of certain reaction products from the calculation yields finally into a product distribution close to the experimentally observed ones. The chosen approach to remove certain compounds from the calculation is equivalent to the introduction of unspecific kinetic constraints arising from a hypothetically total and selective blocking of certain reaction pathways. From this, three major kinetically determined reaction pathways are identified: (i) the formation of carbon, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, and hydrogen chloride due to the cleavage of the C-H bond in methyl chloride, (ii) the formation of hydrogen-containing methylchlorosilanes that occurs only in the presence of hydrogen or hydrogen chloride, and (iii) the competition between the thermodynamically favored chlorosilanes and the kinetically favored methylchlorosilanes. The presence of transition metals (regardless whether Cu, Fe, or Ni) during the direct synthesis gives no thermodynamic preference for the formation of methylchlorosilanes. The metals effect is to open a kinetically controlled reaction pathway to the formation of methylchlorosilanes far away from the formation of chlorosilanes or from other thermodynamically more favored compounds. Furthermore, processes related to the induction period, the addition of hydrogen to the direct synthesis, constrained equilibriums between methylchlorosilanes, and the limits of the applied calculation procedure are discussed in detail.     

Organomagnesium Synthesis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">sec</Emphasis>-Butyl- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">tert</Emphasis>-Alkylchlorogermanes and Their Reaction with Ethynylmagnesium Bromide

The limits of application of organomagnesium synthesis to the substitution of chlorine atoms in tetrachlorogermane with bulky alkyl groups are established. The reaction of tetrachlorogermane with 2-butylmagnesium chloride leads to the substitution of one, two, or three chlorine atoms, yielding the corresponding alkylchlorogermanes (MeEtCH)_nGeCl_4-n . The reaction of GeCl₄ with tert-alkylmagnesium halides leads to the substitution of only one chlorine atom, yielding tert-alkyltrichlorogermanes RMe₂CGeCl₃ (R = Me, Et, Bu). tert-Butyltrichlorogermane reacts with ethylmagnesium bromide to give ethyl(tert-butyl)dichlorogermane. Isopropyltrichlorogermane reacts with tert-butylmagnesium chloride to give isopropyl(tert-butyl)dichlorogermane. This shows that the organomagnesium synthesis does allow linking of two bulky substituents to the germanium atom. The reaction of tert-alkyltrichlorogermanes and 2-butyltrichlorogermane in THF with ethynylmagnesium bromide, in which the hydrocarbon group is the most sterically accessible, allows substitution of all the three chlorine atoms, yielding the corresponding alkyl(triethynyl)germanes. The latter compounds react with the Grignard reagent and trimethylchlorosilane to give the corresponding alkyl(trimethylsilylethynyl)germanes.__________Translated from Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii, Vol. 75, No. 5, 2005, pp. 757–761.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by O. Yarosh, Voronkov, Zhilitskaya, N. Yarosh, Albanov, Korotaeva.     

Theoretical study on the mechanism of cycloaddition reaction between dichlorogermylene silylene (Cl<Subscript>2</Subscript>Ge=Si:) and acetaldehyde

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet state dichlorogermylene silylene (Cl₂Ge=Si:) and acetaldehyde has been investigated with the MP2/cc-pvtz//MP2/6-31G* method. According to the potential energy profile, it can be predicted that the reaction has four competitive dominant reaction pathways. The presented rule of this reaction is that the 3p unoccupied orbital of Si: atom in dimethylgermylene silylene(Cl₂Ge=Si:) inserts the π orbital of acetaldehyde from the oxygen side, resulting in the formation of intermediate. In the intermediate and two reactants, two four-membered ring silylenes, with Si and O in the syn-position and opposite orientation, respectively, are generated, as the [2+2] cycloaddition reaction has occurred between the two bonding π orbital in dichlorogermylene silylene and acetaldehyde. Because of the unsaturated property of Si: atom in the two four-membered ring silylenes, they can further react with acetaldehyde to form two silicic bis-heterocyclic compounds. Simultaneity, the drive of ringlet tensility and unsaturated property of Si: atom in the four-membered ring silylene makes it isomerize into a distorted four-membered ring product and a Cl-transfer product and a H-transfer product, respectively.     

Synthesis and properties of the first stable silylene-isocyanide complexes

The first stable silylene-isocyanide complexes, [Tbt(Mes)SiCNAr] (5 c: Ar=Tip, 5 d: Ar=Tbt, 5 e: Ar=Mes*; Tbt=2,4,6-tris[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]phenyl, Mes=mesityl, Tip=2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl, Mes*=2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) were successfully synthesized by the reaction of a kinetically stabilized disilene, [Tbt(Mes)Si=Si(Mes)Tbt] (1), with bulky isocyanides, ArNC (3c-e). The spectroscopic data of 5 c-e and theoretical calculations for a model molecule indicated that 5 c-e are not classical cumulative compounds but the first stable silylene-Lewis base complexes. The reactions of 5 c-e with triethylsilane and 1,3-dienes gave the corresponding silylene adducts, and they underwent isocyanide-exchange reactions in the presence of another isocyanide at room temperature. These results indicate dissociation of complexes 5 c-e to the corresponding silylene 2 and isocyanides 3 c-e under very mild conditions. The reaction of 5 c with methanol gave the MeOH adduct 16, [Tbt(Mes)SiHC(OMe)NTip], which has a hydrogen atom on the silicon atom. This regioselectivity can be explained in terms of the contribution of zwitterionic resonance structures D and E, which have an anion on the silicon atom. This result indicates that 5 c is not a classical cumulene having Si=C double bonds that should react with methanol to give adducts bearing a methoxyl group on the silicon atom. Although the reactions of 5 c-e with electrophilic reagents such as methanol, hydrogen chloride, and methyl iodide gave the formal silylene adducts, the studies on the reaction mechanism by trapping experiments and the observation of the intermediate suggested that the reaction mainly or partially proceeds by initial nucleophilic attack of the silicon atom, as is the case in the formation of 16 in the reaction of 5 c with methanol. It was revealed that 5 c-e show the nucleophilicity of the silicon atom, most likely resulting from the contribution of the zwitterionic resonance structures D and E.     

Ab initio Study on Formation Mechanism of Spiro-Si-Heterocyclic Ring Compound Involving Ge from H2Ge=Si: and Formaldehyde

H₂Ge=Si: and its derivatives (X₂Ge=Si:, X=H, Me, F, Cl, Br, Ph, Ar,…) are new species. Its cycloaddition reactions are new area for the study of silylene chemistry. The cycloaddition reaction mechanism of singlet H₂Ge=Si: and formaldehyde has been investigated with the MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ method. From the potential energy profile, it could be predicted that the reaction has one dominant reaction pathway. The reaction rule is that two reactants firstly form a four-membered Ge-heterocyclic ring silylene through the [2+2] cycloaddition reaction. Because of the 3p unoccupied orbital of Si: atom in the four-membered Ge-heterocyclic ring silylene and the π orbital of formaldehyde forming a π→p donor-acceptor bond, the four-membered Ge-heterocyclic ring silylene further combines with formaldehyde to form an intermediate. Because the Si: atom in the intermediate undergoes sp³ hybridization after transition state, then the intermediate isomerizes to a spiro-Si-heterocyclic ring compound involving Ge via a transition state. The result indicates the laws of cycloaddition reaction between H₂Ge=Si: or its derivatives (X₂Ge=Si:, X=H, Me, F, Cl, Br, Ph, Ar,…) and asymmetric π-bonded compounds are significant for the synthesis of small-ring involving Si and Ge and spiro-Si-heterocyclic ring compounds involving Ge.     

A new type of N-heterocyclic silylene with ambivalent reactivity

The synthesis of a novel divalent silicon compound by debromination of the corresponding dibromosilyl precursor is reported. The silylene possesses a unique reactivity toward electrophiles of the type R-X (R = H, silyl; X = halogen, triflate) in comparison with the germanium congener. DFT calculations suggest that this is due to a much higher basicity of the silylene versus that of germylene lone-pair electrons. Thus, addition of Me3SiX to the silylene (X = OSO2CF3, triflate) furnishes the corresponding (kinetically favored) 1,4-adduct which subsequently rearranges to the thermodynamically favored 1,1-adduct.     

The direct synthesis of methylchlorosilanes: New aspects concerning its mechanism

New results are given regarding the mechanism of the chemical process of copper alloyed silicon with methyl chloride (the `direct process'). As indicated by Photo-EMF measurements, carried out with doped silicon samples the reactivity of silicon significantly depends on the type of the doping with elements like phosphorus (n-type) tin, boron, indium (p-type). In-situ trapping experiments with 2,3-dimethylbutadiene are consistent with the creation of silylene intermediates SiMeCl and SiCl₂ . Theselectivity of their competitive insertion steps can be controlled by the doping type and concentrations of the doping elements, especially the phosphorus/tin ratio criterion. n-Type doping favors the silylene insertion into the C-Cl bond due to the electronic silylene stabilization on the silicon surface. In case of p-type doping silylene insertion into Si-Cl bond is favored more intensively leading to the formation of disilanes.     

Ab initio study on the mechanism of cycloaddition reaction between H<Subscript>2</Subscript>Si=Si: and formaldehyde

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet H₂Si=Si: and formaldehyde has been investigated with the CCSD(T)//MP2/6-31G* method. From the potential energy profile, it could be predicted that the reaction has three competitive dominant reaction pathways. The reaction rules presented is that the 3p unoccupied orbital of the Si: atom in H₂Si=Si: inserts the π orbital of formaldehyde from the oxygen side, resulting in the formation of an intermediate. Isomerization of the intermediate further generates a four-membered ring silylene (the H₂Si–O in the opposite position). In addition, the [2+2] cycloaddition reaction of the two π-bonds in H₂Si=Si: and formaldehyde also generates another four-membered ring silylene (the H₂Si–O in the syn-position). Because of the unsaturated property of the Si: atom in the two four-membered ring silylenes, the two four-membered ring silylenes could further react with formaldehyde, generating two silicic bis-heterocyclic compounds. Simultaneously, the ring strain of the four-membered ring silylene (the H₂Si–O in the syn-position) makes it isomerize to a twisted four-membered ring product.     

The direct synthesis of methyldichlorosilane and dimethylchlorosilane

The synthesis of methylchlorosilanes with a siliconhydrogen bond, based on the reaction of silicon and methyl chloride with copper as a catalyst, has been investigated at a temperature of 332°C and a pressure of 1 atmosphere. By adding hydrogen to the gas phase, an overall selectivity of methyldichlorosilane and dimethylchlorosilane of over 80 mol% has been achieved together with a small quantity of by-products. The action of hydrogen consists of a reaction with the CuCl reaction intermediates; reaction of hydrogen with CuCl and silicon or with CuCl and chemisorbed methyl chloride also takes place. Metal chlorides such as CdCl₂ and ZnCl₂, which usually are promoters in the synthesis of methylchlorosilanes, do not promote the formation of the hydrogen-containing products.     

Products of thermal desorption from silicon after its prior reaction with hydrogen chloride

Conclusions After the prior reaction of silicon with hydrogen chloride the intermediate products that are formed on the silicon surface react among themselves, with the formation of SiCl₄, when the silicon is heated in the absence of HCl.Deceased.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No.2, pp.444–445, February, 1973.     

The kinetics and mechanism of the reduction of short-bond compounds in aqueous solutions of salts containing bivalent chromium

The kinetics of the reduction of acetylene and fumaric acid in aqueous and aqueous alcoholic solutions by chromous chloride have been investigated.Reversible formation of a complex of Cr²⁺ with acetylene has been observed, and this is apparently an intermediate product in the production of acetylene. The rate of the reduction reaction in both cases is proportional to the square of the chromous ion concentration, and to the concentration of the unsaturated compound. In the reduction of acetylene, the rate of the reaction is proportional to the concentration of the hydrogen ion; in the reduction of fumaric acid the action is somewhat retarded when hydrogen ion concentration is increased.A mechanism for the reaction is proposed, in which in the rate-determining stage hydrogen is transferred to the short bond in the complex made up of two ions of chromium and the unsaturated compounds.     

Hydrogen desorption kinetics from the Si(1-x)Gex(100)-(2x1) surface

We study the influence of germanium atoms upon molecular hydrogen desorption energetics using density functional cluster calculations. A three-dimer cluster is used to model the Si((1-x))Ge(x)(100)-(2x1) surface. The relative stabilities of the various monohydride and clean surface configurations are computed. We also compute the energy barriers for desorption from silicon, germanium, and mixed dimers with various neighboring configurations of silicon and germanium atoms. Our results indicate that there are two desorption channels from mixed dimers, one with an energy barrier close to that for desorption from germanium dimers and one with an energy barrier close to that for desorption from silicon dimers. Coupled with the preferential formation of mixed dimers over silicon or germanium dimers on the surface, our results suggest that the low barrier mixed dimer channel plays an important role in hydrogen desorption from silicon-germanium surfaces. A simple kinetics model is used to show that reasonable thermal desorption spectra result from incorporating this channel into the mechanism for hydrogen desorption. Our results help to resolve the discrepancy between the surface germanium coverage found from thermal desorption spectra analysis, and the results of composition measurements using photoemission experiments. We also find from our cluster calculations that germanium dimers exert little influence upon the hydrogen desorption barriers of neighboring silicon or germanium dimers. However, a relatively larger effect upon the desorption barrier is observed in our calculations when germanium atoms are present in the second layer.     

Geometrically Compelled Silicon(II)/Silicon(IV) Donor–Acceptor Interaction Enables the Enamination of Nitriles

Discovering new bonding scenarios and subsequently exploring the reactivity contribute substantially to advance the main group element chemistry. Herein, we report on the isolation and characterization of an intriguing class of the hydrido-benzosiloles 2 – 4 . These compounds exhibit a side arm of the amidinatosilylenyl group, featuring unidirectional silicon(II)/silicon(IV) donor-acceptor interaction on account of the geometric constraint. Furthermore, the reactions involving 2 – 4 with nitriles yield the tricyclic compounds that edge-fused of the Si-heteroimidazolidine-CN₂Si₂, silole-C₄Si, and phenyl-C₆-rings ( 5 – 13 ). These compounds are manifesting a unique reaction that the silicon(II)/silicon(IV) interaction enables the enamination of the α-H-bearing nitriles. The reaction mechanism involved in H-shift under oxidative addition at silylene followed by hydrosilylation of a ketenimine intermediate was revealed by density function theory (DFT) calculations.     

Reaction of an N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Stabilized Silicon(II) Monohydride with Alkynes: [2+2+1] Cycloaddition versus Hydrogen Abstraction

An in depth study of the reactivity of an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC)‐stabilized silylene monohydride with alkynes is reported. The reaction of silylene monohydride 1 , tBu₃Si(H)Si←NHC, with diphenylacetylene afforded silole 2 , tBu₃Si(H)Si(C₄Ph₄). The density functional theory (DFT) calculations for the reaction mechanism of the [2+2+1] cycloaddition revealed that the NHC played a major part stabilizing zwitterionic transition states and intermediates to assist the cyclization pathway. A significantly different outcome was observed, when silylene monohydride 1 was treated with phenylacetylene, which gave rise to supersilyl substituted 1‐alkenyl‐1‐alkynylsilane 3 , tBu₃Si(H)Si(CH?CHPh)(C?CPh). Mechanistic investigations using an isotope labelling technique and DFT calculations suggest that this reaction occurs through a similar zwitterionic intermediate and subsequent hydrogen abstraction from a second molecule of phenylacetylene.     

Recent advances in the electrochemical hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons

Electrochemical hydrogenation of unsaturated organic compounds is emerging as a very promising alternative to the conventional transition-metal-catalyzed transformation as it avoids the preparation, transportation, and storage of pressured molecule hydrogen (H₂). Besides the direct usage of the on-site-generated H₂ on the cathode surface, the electrochemical means also provide opportunities for novel hydrogenation reactions of unsaturated hydrocarbons, especially electrochemical Birch reduction. Another attractive aspect of such an approach is the possibility of highly selective deuteration of unsaturated hydrocarbons with the readily available, cost-effective deuterium source, D₂O.     

The synthesis of alkenylsilanes by the high-temperature condensation of unsaturated compounds with silicon hydrides

Summary The general character of the new high-temperature reaction of unsaturated hydrocarbons with silicon hydrides, leading to the formation of unsaturated organosilicon compounds, has been shown on the basis of new examples.     

N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Coordinated Neutral and Cationic Heavier Cyclopropylidenes

Cyclopropylidene is a transient intermediate of the allene–propyne–cyclopropene isomerization. The incorporation of heavier Group 14 elements into the cyclopropylidene scaffold has to date been restricted to the formal replacement of the carbenic carbon atom by a base‐coordinated silicon(II) center. Herein we report the synthesis and characterization of NHC‐coordinated heavier cyclopropylidenes (Si₂GeR₃X, and Si₃R₃Br; X=Cl, Mes; R=Tip=2,4,6‐iPr₃C₆H₂) in which the three‐membered ring is exclusively formed by silicon and germanium. In case of the chloro‐substituted Si₂Ge‐cyclopropylidene, a stable heavier cycloprop‐1‐yl‐2‐ylidene cation is obtained by NHC‐induced chloride dissociation.     

三苯基锗不饱和烃基酸衍生物的合成和性质

随着倍半锗氧类化合物的合成及应用研究的日益广泛 ,含 Ge_ O键的烃基锗衍生物的合成及应用也逐渐引起了人们的关注 .1 984年 ,L ukevics等 [1]合成了具有抗癌活性的介吗川类化合物 ,1 990年Kakimoto等 [2 ] 报道了具有杀菌活性的环状烃基羧酸的合成与应用 .但是三烃基锗的膦酸类衍生物的合成及生物活性研究均未见文献报道 .为了研究该类化合物的生理活性 [3～ 5] ,本文以三苯基氯化锗和炔基 (烯基 )膦酸钠为原料 ,在苯中反应 ,合成了一系列双 - O- (三苯基锗 )炔基 (烯基 )膦酸酯和单 - O-三苯基锗炔基 (烯基 )膦酸 ,部分化合物初步生理…