The structure of 1-methyl-1-silaadamantane as determined by gas phase electron diffraction

The structure of 1-methyl-1-silaadamantane (MSA) has been determined by gas phase electron diffraction. There appears to be somewhat less ring strain at the silicon bridgehead of MSA than in the previously studied 1-methyl-1-silabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane (MSBH). The average SiC bond length [1.879(3) Å is comparable to those found in acyclic organosilicon systems. Also, the average CC bond length (1.547(2) Å) is only slightly longer than that observed for adamantane (1.540(2) Å). Valence angles at the silicon bridgehead experience only a moderate perturbation away from their unstrained tetrahedral values. On this basis it is expected that MSA should be somewhat less reactive than MSBH under S_N2 conditions according to the reaction mechanism suggested by L.H. Sommer.