Structural Features of Silatranes and Germatranes

In stabilization of the endo configuration of silatranes and germatranes, a major role is played not only by the Si (or Ge) and N atoms, but also by oxygen and other atoms of the atrane core, which is manifested in molecular orbital parameters. Calculation of the system of interacting methyltrimethoxysilane and trimethylamine shows that the energy of the system grows as the distance between the Si and N atoms is decreased from 5 to 2 Å. The Si-N interaction in methylsilatrane, according to the calculations and precision X-ray diffraction studies, is the interaction of filled electronic shells and is electrostatic in nature. Analysis of the thermodynamic functions of formation of 1-methyl- and 1-hydroxysilatranes and -germatranes reveals an increase in the enthalpy and the decisive contribution of the entropy factors to stabilization of the reaction products. A ¹H NMR study of ethylgermatrane in aqueous solution revealed its equilibrium with the hydro- lyzed form. The transition state in the first step of hydrolysis of methyl- and hydroxysilatranes and -germatranes was studied by methods of quantum chemistry (AM1, PM3; basis sets STO-3G, 6-31G, 6-31G*, 6-31G** B3LYP method).