Reactions with Silicon Tetrachloride SiCl

Metallothermic reduction of silicon tetrachloride with zinc. Silicon tetrachloride, SiCl, is preliminarily obtained as a byproduct from the carbochlorination of zircon and, to a lesser extent, from that of pure silica sand with carbon and chlorine. Afterward a high-purity silicon tetrachloride is produced by rectification (i.e., fractional distillation). Simultaneously, zinc is purified by vaporization. Then both chemicals are added to the heated quartz-reaction-heated vessel. Needlelike polycrystalline silicon is grown inside the furnace as a result of the following chemical reaction ... 

Without doubt one of the key events of silicon science occurred in 1824 when Berzelius [12] first Isolated silicon by the reduction of potassium fluorosilicate, K.SIF, with potassium metal and then showed that this element reacted with chlorine to give a volatile, highly reactive material subsequently identified as silicon tetrachloride, SiCl. The next step from silicon to organosilicon science was accomplished by Friedle and Craft [13] in 1865 when they obtained tetraethylsilane by reaction of silicon tetrachloride with dlethylzinc ... 

In addition, this class of chiral phosphoramides could catalyze the enantioselective ring opening of epoxides with silicon tetrachloride (SiCfl) [4]. For instance, the reaction of ds-stilbene oxide with SiCl, proceeded smoothly in the presence of 1 to afford the desired chlorohydrin in an enantiomericaUy enriched form (Scheme 7.3). The reactive ion pair shown in the scheme was proposed to be generated through the activation of SiCl, by the coordination of one phosphoramide 1, serving to activate the epoxide it was confirmed that bis-phosphoramide 2 was far less selective in this reaction. 

Silicon tetrachloride undergoes addition with olefinic and acetylenic unsaturated hydrocarbons. In these addition reactions, one chlorine atom adds to one carbon atom of the double or triple bond while the rest of the unit —SiCls attaches to the other carbon atom forming a sihcon—carbon bond ... 

Silicon tetrachloride is made by chlorination of Si at red heat. Hexachlorodisilane (Si2Cl6) can be obtained by interaction of SiCL, and Si at high temperatures or, along with SiCL, and higher chlorides, by chlorination of a silidde such as that of calcium. The higher members, which have highly branched structures, can also be obtained by amine-catalyzed reactions such as... 

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