Hypervalent silicon compounds formation

The first observation of penta- and hexaeoordinate silicon compounds was reported at the beginning of the 19th century by Gay-Lussac [87] and Davy [88], Subsequent investigation of hypercoordination in silicon compounds stimulated widespread use of nucleophilic activation and catalysis in the application of organosilicon compounds as reactive species in organic synthesis. Synthetic application for silicon-fluorine bond formation can be found in several reviews over the last two decades, and this section focuses on recent advances in the use of hypervalent organosilicon compounds in selective organic synthesis, in particular, selective carbon-carbon bond formation [89]. 

The sol gel chemistry of sihcon alkoxides is much simpler (see Silicon Inorganic Chemistry)P Si is fourfold coordinated (N = z = 4,) in the precursor as well as in the oxide so that coordination expansion does not occur. The electronegativity of Si is rather high compared to transition metals. Silicon alkoxides are therefore not very sensitive toward hydrolysis. Their reactivity decreases when the size of the alkoxy groups increases. This is mainly due to steric hindrance, which prevents the formation of hypervalent sihcon intermediates (see Hypervalent Compounds). Silicon alkoxides, Si(OR)4, are always monomeric. Heterometallic alkoxides have never been obtained via the reaction of a sihcon alkoxide with another alkoxide. Silicon alkoxides have to be prehydrolyzed before Si T M bonds can be formed. 

A number of important review articles have appeared in the area of pentaco-ordinate and hexaco-ordinate phosphorus chemistry. Robert Holmes has provided an extremely informative comparison of the hypervalency, stereochemistry and reactivity of silicon and phosphorus including the application of the latter to enzyme systems. The coordination chemistry of hydrophosphoranes including the formation of complexes from bicyclic-, tricyclic- and tetracyclic hydrophosphoranes has also been the subject of a comprehensive review with literature coverage to 1995. Numerous metal complexes are mentioned including Rh, Ru, Pd, Co, Fe, Mo, and W and the relevance to asymmetric catalysis is discussed. Neutral six-coordinate compounds of phosphorus, including mono-, di-, tri-, and tetracyclic examples, have also been reviewed. 

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