FULL PAPER
The (Chloromethyl)dihalosilanes X2HSiCH2Cl (X ؍
F, Cl, Br, I): Synthesis,
Multinuclear NMR Spectroscopy and Rotational Isomerism Examined by
Raman Spectroscopy
Karl Hassler,*[a] Reinhard Hummeltenberg,[a] and Günter Tekautz[a]
Keywords: Infrared spectroscopy / NMR spectroscopy / Raman spectroscopy / Silanes / Synthesis
(Chloromethyl)diphenylsilane Ph2HSiCH2Cl (1) was pre-
pared from Ph2SiHCl and LiCH2Cl, in situ, and was then
treated with CF3SO3H/LiCl and CF3SO3H/LiBr to give the
gauche and anti rotamers in the liquid state. Enthalpy differ-
ences, ∆H (Hanti − Hgauche), were determined for the liquids
by applying the van’t Hoff relation, with the gauche rotamer
being lower in energy for 3 and 4, and the anti rotamer for
2. The vibrational spectra were assigned with the help of ab
initio calculations of equilibrium geometries and harmonic
fundamental frequencies. Harmonic symmetry force con-
(chloromethyl)dihalosilanes
Cl2HSiCH2Cl
(2)
and
Br2HSiCH2Cl (3). I2HSiCH2Cl (4) was formed quantitatively
in a protodearylation reaction between liquid hydrogen iod-
ide and 1. Fluorination of 4 with ZnF2 gave F2HSiCH2Cl (5),
albeit in low yields. Compounds 1−5 were characterised by stants and potential energy distributions were calculated
multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (29Si, 13C, 19F) and vibra- from the ab initio Hessian matrices.
tional spectroscopy. The temperature-dependent vibrational
( Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim,
Raman spectra of 2, 3 and 4 prove that they are mixtures of
Germany, 2004)
Introduction
bearing no other substituents but hydrogen and halogen
atoms. They can be considered as the link between halogen-
ated hydrocarbons and their heavier analogues the halogen-
ated disilanes and trisilanes. The chemical behaviour of
both the SiϪSi bond and the SiϪC bond is strongly
influenced by the substituents at the molecular skeleton.
Numerous experimental investigations show a weakening of
the SiϪC bond of carbosilanes (a term coined by Fritz[6] for
compounds in which the molecular framework is exclusively
built up by SiϪC bonds) upon chlorination at the carbon
atom, whereas chlorination at the silicon atom has the op-
posite effect, causing a bond strengthening. Ab initio stud-
ies of chlorinated silaethanes confirm these effects.[7] For
instance, the bond-dissociation energies of SiCl3CH3,
SiH3CH3, and SiH3CCl3 were calculated as 392, 369 and
314 kJ/mol, respectively. With disilanes, the bond strengths
decrease in the order SiCl3SiCl3 Ͼ SiH3SiCl3, Ͼ SiH3SiH3,
which is supported by experimental and ab initio SiϪSi
force constants and 29Si,29Si coupling constants, for in-
stance.[8] The effect of Si chlorination can be rationalised
by Bent’s rule,[9] which states that bonds to electronegative
substituents possess more p-character, thereby increasing
the s-character of the bonds to electropositive atoms; more
s-character usually means a stronger bond. Upon C-chlori-
nation, Bent’s rule should also be at work, but the effect is
overridden by the repulsive force between the positive
charges at the Si and C atoms due to the short SiϪC dis-
tance. Moreover, the steric repulsion between the chlorine
atoms at carbon — the Cl···Cl distance is in fact consider-
ably shorter than the van der Waals distance — is reduced
α-(Halomethyl)silanes are versatile starting materials
for the synthesis of organosilicon compounds such as
silylmethyllithium derivatives or main-group derivatives
M-CHnX2ϪnSiR3, where X is a halogen.[1] However, only a
handful of methods, each one with its own limitations, can
be used for their preparation. These comprise the direct
chlorination of methylsilanes, MeSiR3 with Cl2
[2]
or
Cl2SO2,[3] a method which does not tolerate silyl, vinyl or
aryl groups as the R substituent. Another synthetic ap-
proach uses silyllithiums, LiSiR3 as precursors, treating
them with, for instance, CH2Cl2 to form CH2ClSiR3.[4]
However, this method is not widely applicable due to a lack
of suitable silyllithiums. A third method with a wider range
of applications is the alkylation of chlorosilanes by a (halo-
methyl)lithium XnH3ϪnCLi (n ϭ 1, 2, 3; X ϭ halogen),
which is usually generated in situ. Pannell and co-workers
have prepared a considerable number of (chloromethyl)sil-
anes with this method that contain functionalities such as
SiH, SiCl, SiSi, Si-vinyl, Si-allyl and Si-phenyl.[5] The intro-
duction of these functional groups was a major step for-
ward, as they can be replaced by other substituents without
affecting the halomethyl functionality.
We are interested in the synthesis and spectroscopic
properties of silaethanes, silapropanes and disilapropanes
[a]
Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Technology,
Stremayrgasse 16, 8010 Graz, Austria
Fax: ϩ43-316-873-8701
E-Mail: hassler@anorg.tu-graz.ac.at
Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2004, 4259Ϫ4265
DOI: 10.1002/ejic.200400305
2004 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
4259