Electrochemical oxidation of three- and four-membered cyclic polysilanes: (Mes2Si)3 and [t-Bu(Me)Si]4

Zeng Rong Zhang, James Y. Becker, Robert West

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

9 Scopus citations

Abstract

The electrochemical oxidation of 1,2,3,4-tetra-tert-butyl-1,2,3,4-tetramethylcyclotetrasilane [t-Bu(Me)Si]4 (I) and hexamesitylcyclotrisilane (Mes2Si)3 (II) in CH2Cl2-CH3CN (4:1 v/v) solutions containing a different electrolyte, under air or argon atmospheres, has been studied. The effects of electrolyte, applied potential and electrode material were investigated. The anodic oxidation of I led to oxygen insertion and gave cyclic siloxanes as the major products. Under specific conditions, in the presence of tetraethylammonium perchlorate or tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate, and under argon atmosphere, the sole product obtained was cyclic siloxane [/-Bu(Me)Si]4O in 94% and quantitative yield, respectively. The electrochemical oxidation of II, unlike that of I, involves ring opening followed by Si - Si bond cleavage and a further reaction with the electrolyte to generate (mostly) linear products of type: X-(Mes2Si)n-Y (n = 1, X; Y = mesityl, H, OH or F).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1985-1992
Number of pages8
JournalElectrochimica Acta
Volume42
Issue number13-14
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 1997

Keywords

  • Cyclic polysilanes
  • Cyclic siloxanes
  • Electrochemical oxidation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemical Engineering
  • Electrochemistry

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