Comparative Summary of the Carbosilanes Synthesized

The numerous carbosilanes produced by pyrolysis can be classified without referring to their substituents. Among the compounds with two or three silicon atoms, all the linear and cyclic molecules possess one of the following molecular skeletons  

A comparison of the compounds now known containing more than 5 Si atoms in the molecule shows that 17 compounds contain the adamantane skeleton as the basic molecular unit (Fig. 5). Two other compounds contain the adamantane skeleton as a part of their overall skeleton. Only three other types are built based on a different structural principle. This outcome shows distinctly the significance of the adamantane structure in the formation of carbosilanes by pyrolysis reactions. 

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