Trapping Experiments on a Trichlorosilanide Anion: a Key Intermediate of Halogenosilane Chemistry

Inorg Chem. 2017 Aug 7;56(15):8683-8688. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.7b00216. Epub 2017 Mar 20.

Abstract

Treatment of Si2Cl6 with [Et4N][BCl4] in CH2Cl2 furnished the known products of a chloride-induced disproportionation reaction of the disilane, such as SiCl4, [Si(SiCl3)3]-, and [Si6Cl12·2Cl]2-. No Si-B-bonded products were detectable. In contrast, the addition of Si2Cl6 to [Et4N][BI3Cl] afforded the Si-B adduct [Et4N][I3SiBI3]. Thus, a quantitative Cl/I exchange at the silicon atom accompanies the trihalogenosilanide formation. [Et4N][I3SiBI3] was also accessible from a mixture of Si2I6, [Et4N]I, and BI3. According to X-ray crystallography, the anion [I3SiBI3]- adopts a staggered conformation with an Si-B bond length of 1.977(6) Å. Quantum-chemical calculations revealed a polar covalent Si-B bond with significant contributions from intramolecular I···I dispersion interactions.