Theoretical study on the mechanism of extraction reaction between silylene carbene and its derivatives and thiirane

The mechanism of the sulfur extraction reaction between singlet silylene carbine and its derivatives and thiirane has been investigated with density functional theory (DFT), 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 B3LYP/6-311G(d, p) method. From the potential energy profile, it can be predicted that the reaction pathway of this kind consists in two steps: (1) the two reactants firstly form an intermediate through a barrier-free exothermic reaction; (2) the intermediate then isomerizes to a product via a transition state. This kind of reactions has similar mechanism: when the silylene carbene and its derivatives X₂Si=C: (X = H, F, Cl, CH₃)] and thiirane approach each other, the shift of 3p lone electron pair of S in thiirane to the 2p unoccupied orbital of C in X₂Si=C: gives a p → p donor-acceptor bond, thereby leading to the formation of intermediate (INT). As the p → p donor-acceptor bond continues to strengthen (that is the C-S bond continues to shorten), the intermediate (INT) generates product (P + C₂H₄) via transition state (TS). It is the substituent electronegativity that mainly affect the extraction reactions. When the substituent electronegativity is greater, the energy barrier is lower, and the reaction rate is greater.