Disilanes sensitized

Delahoy, A., Doele, B., Ellis, F., Ramaprasad, K., Tonon, T., and Van Dine, J., Amorphous Silicon Films and Solar Cells Prepared by Mercury-Sensitized Photo-CVD of Silane and Disilane, Materials Issues in Applications of Amorphous Silicon Technology, (D. Adler, et al., eds), MRS Proc., (49) 33-39 (1985)... 

This synthesis, which employs the relatively stable and commonly available metal carbonyls, is normally rapid, leading to generally air-sensitive products with high specificity in good to excellent yield. Some representative reactions, with RjSiH and R2SiH2 are listed in Table 1, and are seen to involve silanes with electronegative substituents. Attempted syntheses with alkylsilanes do not lead to stable products. However, use of alkyl-substituted disilanes does provide stable complexes, in which the disilane moiety forms a ring. Thus, ultraviolet irradition of Fe(CO)j... 

Explosive reaction with sodium -I-methanol or sodium methoxide + methanol. Mixtures with sodium or potassium are impact-sensitive explosives. Reacts violently with acetone + alkah (e.g., sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, or calcium hydroxide), Al, disilane, Li, Mg, methanol + alkah, nitrogen tetroxide, perchloric acid + phosphorus pentoxide, potassium-tert-butoxide, sodium methylate, NaK. Incompatible with dinitrogen tetraoxide, fluorine, metals, or trhsopropylphosphine. Nonflammable. When heated to decomposition it emits toxic fumes of CT. 

Based on material testing and other laboratory work, TCS DPR is not to be considered pyrophoric. This is primarily because of the absence of SiH-containing disilanes. However, these streams can form shock-sensitive hydrolysis products, which can be an ignition source for flammable atmospheres in the vicinity of the gel. 

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