Photolysis of some organosilylene precursors in a molecular beam

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(95)00325-K

The condensed-phase organosilylene precursors PhMeSi(SiMe3)2 (1), PhSi(SiMe3)3 (2), and (Me2Si)6 (3) were photolyzed in a molecular beam using a pulsed supersonic jet and mass spectrometric detection.Under ca. 10 ns pulsed UV illumination, we have found for the gas-phase trisilane precursors 1 and 2 that one photon results in removal of only one -SiMe3 group.Even at the highest laser power densities used, there is no evidence of removal of a second -SiMe3 to form a silylene.On the other hand, a single photolysis photon was capable of producing the silylene for the cyclohexasilane ring precursor, 3.Keywords: Silicon; Mass spectrometry; Molecular beams; Photochemistry