Synthesis and properties of sulfur‐contained poly(silylene arylacetylene)s

Poly(silylene arylacetylene) (PSA) is a kind of poly(arylacetylene) silicon‐containing resins with excellent heat resistance and good mechanical performances. In this article, the sulfur atom is introduced into the main chain of the PSA molecule to obtain a sulfur‐containing poly(silylene arylacetylene), named S‐PSA. By Williamson and Sonogashira reactions, bis(4‐ethynylphenyl)sulfide and bis(4‐ethynylphenyl)sulfone were synthesized. Thereafter, through Grignard reagent way, the poly(silylene ethynylene phenylene sulfide phenylene ethynylene) (PSESE) and poly(silylene ethynylene phenylene sulfone phenylene ethynylene) (PSESO₂E) were synthesized from bis(4‐ethynylphenyl)sulfide, bis(4‐ethynylphenyl)sulfone, and methylphenyl dichlorosilane. Poly(silylene ethynylene phenylene sulfoxide phenylene ethynylene) (PSESOE) was synthesized by the oxidation of PSESE. The structures and properties of these resins were characterized and the mechanical properties of the T300 reinforced composites were tested. The results show that the novel S‐PSA resins have excellent heat resistance and good mechanical properties, and could be used as resin matrices for high‐performance composites in high‐tech fields. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019, 57, 2324–2332     

Bonding analysis and the mechanisms on the ring-opening of alkoxy-bridged bis(silylene) transition-metal complexes toward MeOH

The mechanistic study on the ring-opening of alkoxy-bridged bis(silylene) transition-metal complexes toward MeOH is performed by using density functional theory. Four steps are predicted to be involved in the reaction, formation of hydrogen bonding between R and a MeOH, ring-opening of the Ru-Si1-O1-Si2 four-membered ring, formation of the six-membered ring, and the hydroxyl hydrogen migration to the metal center. It is found that the reaction is favorable thermodynamically and the hydroxyl hydrogen migration is the rate-determining step. Systematic variations of the structural parameters involved in the reaction mechanism are revealed, which revealed the relationship of the bond strength among Ru-Si, Si-O and O-H bonds.     

Isolable silylene, disilenes, trisilaallene, and related compounds

Our recent studies of synthesis, structure, and reactions of an isolable silylene, stable novel cyclic and conjugated disilenes, a trisilaallene are summarized. Due to the distinctive electronic and steric effects of trialkylsilyl substituents, tetrakis(trialkylsilyl)disilenes showed interesting structural features around SiSi bonds, electronic spectra, and reactions. The tetrasilyldisilenes were useful reagents for the synthesis of novel types of organosilicon compounds such as η²-disilene transition metal complexes and a 1,3-disilabicyclo[1.1.0]butane. Photochemical and thermal interconversion among Si₄R₆ isomers including a cyclotetrasilene, a silylcyclotrisilene, and a bicyclo[1.1.0]tetrasilane occured without apparent participation of the corresponding tetrasila-1,3-diene. The first spiropentasiladiene was thermally very stable and showed remarkable spiroconjugation between the two ring π systems. An isolable dialkylsilylene was found to be well-protected sterically from dimerization but least perturbed electronically. Using the silylene, a trisilaallene, the first stable compound with formal sp-hybridized silicon atom, was synthesized. In contrast to carbon allenes, the skeleton of the trisilaallene was significantly bent and remarkably fluxional.     

卤代硅烯异构化为卤代甲硅烷基硅烯的热力学与动力学分析

利用密度泛函理论(DFT) 中的B3LYP方法,全参数优化了卤代硅烯HXSi=SiXH（X=F、Cl、Br、I）异构化反应的反应物、产物及过渡态的几何构型,计算出了它们的振动频率、零点振动能(ZPVE)和总能量,并对它们进行了振动分析,以确定过渡态的真实性。又计算了反应的热力学函数变化,平衡常数及速率常数,比较了不同卤素对反应的影响。热力学与动力学计算结果表明,该异构化反应过程是一个放热的、且在低温下可自发进行的反应,但对于溴代硅烯和碘代硅烯而言,当温度达到1000 K时,反应开始转化为非自发反应。     

Alkene hydrosilation by a cationic hydrogen-substituted iridium silylene complex

A cationic hydrogen-substituted iridium silylene complex [(PNP)(H)Ir Si(Mes)H][B(C6F5)4] (2) was synthesized via hydride abstraction from the corresponding neutral iridium silyl hydride complex. DFT calculations for 2 indicate that the cationic charge is localized at the silicon center and depict a LUMO with predominant silicon p-orbital character. Notably, complex 2 reacts rapidly with unhindered alkenes at ambient temperatures to afford disubstituted silylene complexes via Si-C bond formation. Complex 2 is also the catalyst for alkene hydrosilation of primary silanes with a high degree of anti-Markovnikov selectivity.     

硅烯与甲醛环加成反应的理论研究

本文用RHF/6-31G^*解析梯度方法研究了单重态硅烯与甲醛环加成反应的机理,用二级微扰方法对各构型的能量进行了相关能校正,并用统计热力学方法和过渡态理论计算了该反应在不同温度下的热力学函数的变化和动力学性质。结果表明,此反应历程由两步组成:1)硅烯与甲醛生成一中间配合物,是一无势垒的放热反应,2)中间配合物异构化为产物,此步势垒经零点能校正后只有51.4kJ·mol^-^1(MP2/6-31G^*//6-31G^*);从热力学和动力学的综合角度考虑,该反应在300～400K温度下进行为宜,如此,反应既有较大的自发趋势和平衡常数,又具有较快的反应速率。     

Generation of Bis(ferrocenyl)silylenes from Siliranes

Divalent silicon species, the so-called silylenes, represent attractive organosilicon building blocks. Isolable stable silylenes remain scarce, and in most hitherto reported examples, the silicon center is stabilized by electron-donating substituents (e.g., heteroatoms such as nitrogen), which results in electronic perturbation. In order to avoid such electronic perturbation, we have been interested in the chemistry of reactive silylenes with carbon-based substituents such as ferrocenyl groups. Due to the presence of a divalent silicon center and the redox-active transition metal iron, ferrocenylsilylenes can be expected to exhibit interesting redox behavior. Herein, we report the design and synthesis of a bis(ferrocenyl)silirane as a precursor for a bis(ferrocenyl)silylene, which could potentially be used as a building block for redox-active organosilicon compounds. It was found that the isolated bis(ferrocenyl)siliranes could be a bottleable precursor for the bis(ferrocenyl)silylene under mild conditions.     

Unusual reactivity of a disilyne with 4-dimethylaminopyridine: formation of an intramolecularly N-coordinated silylene and its isomerization to a zwitterionic silyl anion

Reaction of isolable 1,1,4,4-tetrakis[bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]-1,4-diisopropyltetrasila-2-yne (1) with an equiv amount of 4-dimethylaminopyridine unexpectedly produced the intramolecularly N-coordinated silylene 2 as the primary product. However, 2 was not thermally stable at room temperature in solution and slowly isomerized to silyl anion 3 with a zwitterionic structure via 1,2-hydrogen migration followed by Si-N bond formation.     

Theoretical study of mechanism of cycloaddition reaction between dimethyl‐silylene carbene [(CH3)2SiC:] and formaldehyde

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet dimethyl‐silylene carbene and formaldehyde has been investigated with MP2/6‐31G* method, including geometry optimization and vibrational analysis for the involved stationary points on the potential energy surface. The energies of the different conformations are calculated by zero‐point energy and CCSD (T)//MP2/6‐31G* method. From the potential energy profile, it can be predicted that the reaction has two competitive dominant reaction pathways. The main products of first dominant reaction pathway are a planar four‐membered ring product (P4) and its H‐transfer product (P4.2). The main product of second dominant reaction pathway is a silicic bis‐heterocyclic compound (P5). © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011     

Theoretical Study of the Mechanism of Cycloaddition Reaction between Silylene Silylene (H2SiSi:) and Acetone

The mechanism of the cycloaddition reaction between singlet silylene silylene (H₂Si?Si:) and acetone has been investigated with the CCSD (T)//MP2/6‐31G?? method. According to the potential energy profile, it can be predicted that the reaction has two competitive dominant reaction channels. The present rule of this reaction is that the [2+2] cycloaddition reaction of the two π‐bonds in silylene silylene (H₂Si?Si:) and acetone leads to the formation of a four‐membered ring silylene (E3). Because of the unsaturated property of Si: atom in E3, it further reacts with acetone to form a silicic bis‐heterocyclic compound (P7). Simultaneously, the ring strain of the four‐membered ring silylene (E3) makes it isomerize to a twisted four‐membered ring product (P4).     

Synthesis and Reactivity of Bis(silylene)-Coordinated Calcium and Divalent Lanthanide Complexes

Divalent lanthanide complexes of Eu ( 1 ) and Yb ( 2 ) coordinated by a chelating pyridine-based bis(silylene) ligand were isolated and fully characterized. Compared to the Eu^II complex 1 , the Yb^II complex 2 presents a lower thermal stability, resulting in the activation of one Si^II−N bond and formation of an Yb^III complex ( 3 ), which features a unique silylene-pyridyl-amido ligand. The different thermal stability of 1 and 2 points towards reduction-induced cleavage of one Si^II−N bond of the bis(silylene) ligand. Successful isolation of the corresponding redox-inert bis(silylene) Ca^II complex ( 5 ) was achieved at low temperature and thermal decomposition into a Ca^II complex ( 4 ) bearing the same silylene-pyridyl-amido ligand was identified. In this case, the thermolysis reaction proceeds through another, non-redox induced, mechanism. An alternative higher yielding route to 4 was developed through an in situ generated silylene-pyridyl-amine proligand.     

An acyclic imino-substituted silylene: synthesis, isolation, and its facile conversion into a zwitterionic silaimine

A new type of Si(II): A novel silylene stabilized by a Cp* and an imidazolin-2-iminato ligand has been prepared using two different methods. The X-ray crystallographic structure shows that the silicon(II) center is coordinated to an η(2) -Cp* ligand and the nitrogen atom of an imidazolin-2-iminato ligand. This silylene easily reacts with B(C(6) F(5) )(3) to give a stable borane adduct having a zwitterionic resonance structure.     

Reactivity of rhodium-triflate complexes with diphenylsilane: evidence for silylene intermediacy in stoichiometric and catalytic reactions

Addition of Ph2SiH2 to [Rh(iPr3P)2(OTf)] (1) yielded the thermally unstable RhIII adduct [Rh(iPr3P)2(OTf)(H)(SiPh2H)] (2), which decomposed to [Rh(iPr3P)2(H)2(OTf)] (3), liberating (unobserved) silylene. The silylene was trapped by 1, resulting in the RhI-silyl complex [Rh(iPr3P)2(SiPh2OTf)]. Complex 3 was converted to 2 by addition of diphenylsilane, providing a basis for a possible catalytic cycle. The last reaction did not involve a RhI intermediate, as shown by a labeling study. Complex 1 catalyzed the dehydrogenative coupling of Ph2SiH2 to Ph2HSi--SiHPh2. A mechanism involving a silylene intermediate in this catalytic cycle is proposed. The mechanism is supported by complete lack of catalysis in the case of the tertiary silanes Ph2MeSiH and PhMe2SiH, and by a study of individual steps of the catalytic cycle. The outcome of the reaction of Ph2SiH2 with styrene in the presence of 1 depends on the complex/substrate ratio; under stoichiometric conditions olefin hydrogenation prevailed over hydrosilylation, whereas with excess of substrates hydrosilylation prevailed. Catalytic hydrosilylation resulted in double addition giving Ph2Si(CH2CH2Ph)2. Mechanistic aspects of the reported processes are discussed, and a new hydrosilylation mechanism based on silylene intermediacy is proposed.     

Hydrogen-substituted osmium silylene complexes: effect of charge localization on catalytic hydrosilation

Addition of bulky primary silanes to the osmium benzyl compound, Cp*(iPr3P)OsCH2Ph, afforded two neutral hydrogen-substituted silylene complexes via activation of two Si-H bonds. These species have been structurally characterized, and their reactivity has been examined experimentally and computationally. Comparison of these neutral silylene complexes with their cationic analogue highlights the dramatic influence of charge distribution on the reaction chemistry of metal silylene complexes.     

Photodegradation of Poly[methyl(phenyl)silylene] in the Presence of Modifying Substances

Summary: Efficiency of the photodegradation of poly[methyl(phenyl)silylene] can be increased by electron acceptor additives with unstable anion radicals. The best chain degradation yield was obtained using benzoyl peroxide as an additive. The model for the photodegradation process is supported by quantum chemical calculations.     

Enhanced nucleophilicity of ambiphilic silylene and silylenoid bearing 8-(dimethylamino)-1-naphthyl group

Some new aspects of intramolecularly amine-coordinated silylenes, ammonium silaylide, and amine-coordinated magnesium (chloro)silylenoids are summarized. The divalent silicon species bearing the 8-(dimethylamino)-1-naphthyl group, generated by the thermal degradation of a pseudo-pentacoordinated ethoxy- or fluoro-disilane, behaves as a nucleophilic ammonium silaylide as well as the amine-coordinated silylene, whose electrophilic character is weakened in comparison with that of free silylenes in some reactions in the presence of trapping agents such as 1,3-diene, diphenyl acetylene (in the absence or presence of water), and phenylacetylene, and in the absence of any trapping agent. The amine-coordinated silylenoid also behaves as an ambiphile, but the reaction courses are different from those observed with the amine-coordinated silylene and silaylide. A novel amino-group migration from naphthyl carbon to silicon has been observed in both species.     

New monodentate and bidentate silylene ligands by DFT

Considering the importance of silylene ligands in transition metal-mediated catalytic reactions, we have scrutinized eight novel monodentate ( 1 – 4 ) and bidentate ( 1 ^′ - 4 ^′ ) derivatives of 2,5-diX-cyclopentasilylene-2,4-dienes (X = NH₂, OH, PH₂, and SH), at M06/6-311++G** level of theory. To probe the complexation ability of our scrutinized silylene ligands with Rh atom ( 1 _Rh - 4 _Rh and 1 ^′ _Rh - 4 ^′ _Rh , respectively), thermodynamic and structural parameters such as complexation energy (ΔE_Com), singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔE_s-t), bond length, along with NBO and atoms in molecules analyses are provided. In going from less electron donating groups (EDGs) to more EDGs (NH₂ > OH > PH₂ > SH), the σ -donor strength and ligand flexibility increase. Structures 1 and 1 ^′ turn out as the most nucleophilic species for showing the highest nucleophilicity (N = 5.47 and 5.40 eV, respectively). Furthermore, they exhibit the highest proton affinity values (PA = 271.46 and 271.23 kcal/mol, respectively). The results indicate that bidentate coordination mode of silylene leads to a stronger Si-Rh complex. The overall orders of σ -donation ability for monodentate and bidentate silylene ligands are 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 and 1 ^′ > 2 ^′ > 3 ^′ > 4 ^′ , respectively.     

Bis(silylene)-Stabilized Monovalent Nitrogen Complexes

The first series of bis(silylene)-stabilized nitrogen(I) compounds is described. Starting from the 1,2-bis(N-heterocyclic silylenyl) 1,2-dicarba-closo-dedocaborane(12) scaffold 1 , [1,2-(LSi)₂C₂B₁₀H₁₀; L=PhC(N^tBu)₂], reaction with adamantyl azide (AdN₃) affords the terminal N-μ₂-bridged zwitterionic carborane-1,2-bis(silylium) AdN₃ adduct 2 with an open-cage dianionic nido-C₂B₁₀ cluster core. Remarkably, upon one-electron reduction of 2 with C₈K and liberation of N₂ and adamantane, the two silylene subunits are regenerated to furnish the isolable bis(silylene)-stabilized N^I complex as an anion of 3 with the nido-C₂B₁₀ cluster cage. On the other hand, one-electron oxidation of 2 with silver(I) yields the monocationic bis(silylene) N^I complex 4 with the closo-C₂B₁₀ cluster core. Moreover, the corresponding neutral N^I radical complex 5 results from single-electron transfer from 3 to 4 .     

Photooxidation of poly[methyl(phenyl)silylene] and effect of photostabilizers

Poly[methyl(phenyl)silylene] (PMPSi) samples were irradiated in air atmosphere using either a weatherometer ATLAS Ci 3000+ or a mercury discharge lamp HBO 200. The kinetics of photodegradation was determined by FTIR and UV spectroscopies. The absorption changes in the siloxane, carbonyl and hydroxyl regions were monitored and analyzed. It is assumed that photodegradation of neat PMPSi in air atmosphere is an irreversible dual photoprocess consisting of primary photolysis followed by the photooxidation to oxygenated products such as siloxanes and species containing hydroxyl and carbonyl groups. Degradative changes can be retarded by the addition of photostabilizers. Triazine-based phenolic UV absorber protecting the polymer by the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer mechanism, bifunctional stabilizer (consisting of UV absorber and HAS functions) and the combination of triazine-based phenolic UV absorber with HAS was rather effective in retardation of photodegradation of PMPSi.     

Charge carrier transport in poly[methyl(phenyl)silylene]: the effect of additives

Poly[methyl(phenyl)silylene], PMPSi, was doped with compounds of the electron acceptor type. The charge carrier mobility increases with increasing electron affinity of the acceptors having zero dipole moments. At the same time the energy distribution of hopping states narrows. On the other hand, the hole drift mobility is influenced by the dipole moment of the dopand. The electrostatic charge carrier‐dipole interaction causes a broadening of the energy distribution of transport states which results in a decrease in the charge carrier mobility. The charge carrier transport can be explained by the disordered polaronic theory, according to which the activation energy of charge carrier mobility has contributions based on the dynamic disorder, i.e. the polaronic barrier, and on the static disorder, i.e. the variation of the energy of transport states as a result of the environment. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.