Silacyclobutane, thermal decomposition

Aryl and, more so, chlorine substituents on silicon enhance thermal stability of silacyclobutanes. The rate of the first-order thermal decomposition of silacyclobutanes varies inversely with the dielectric constant of the solvent used. Radical initiators have no effect on the thermal decomposition and a polar mechanism was suggested. Thermal polymerization of cyclo-[Ph2SiCH212 has been reported to occur at 180-200°C. The product was a crystalline white powder which was insoluble in benzene and other common organic solvents [19]. 

The products of the thermolysis of 3-phenyl-5-(arylamino)-l,2,4-oxadiazoles and thiazoles have been accounted for by a radical mechanism.266 Flash vacuum pyrolysis of 1,3-dithiolane-1-oxides has led to thiocarbonyl compounds, but the transformation is not general.267 hi an ongoing study of silacyclobutane pyrolysis, CASSF(4,4), MR-CI and CASSCF(4,4)+MP2 calculations using the 3-21G and 6-31G basis sets have modelled the reaction between silenes and ethylene, suggesting a cyclic transition state from which silacyclobutane or a trcins-biradical are formed.268 An AMI study of the thermolysis of 1,3,3-trinitroazacyclobutane and its derivatives has identified gem-dinitro C—N bond homolysis as the initial reaction.269 Similar AMI analysis has determined the activation energy of die formation of NCh from methyl nitrate.270 Thermal decomposition of nitromethane in a shock tube (1050-1400 K, 0.2-40 atm) was studied spectrophotometrically, allowing determination of rate constants.271... 

The potential surface for die gradient path addition of ethylene to silene and the possible existence and stability of intermediates in the thermal decomposition reaction of silacyclobutane has been explored.38 The energy maximum of die multi-step process corresponds to a cyclic transition state leading on one side to a planar silacyclobutane transition state which falls to ground-state puckered silacyclobutane and on the other side to a trans diradical which fragments to ethylene and silene. 

TABLE 1. Kinetic data for the thermal decomposition of silacyclobutanes... 

Conlin and coworkers have prepared ( )- and (Z)-l,l,2,3-tetramethylsilacyclobutanes 5 and have studied the mechanism of their thermal decomposition in order to gain insight into the stereochemistry of the thermal decomposition of silacyclobutanes . The occurrence of transient 1,4-biradicals like 6 in [2 + 2] fragmentations is accompanied by a loss of the reactant stereochemistry. This can be rationalized by rotational processes in the diradical 6 (6a —> 6b) which compete effectively with the yS-scission steps yielding the silene 2 and E/Z 2-butene 7 (equation 3). 

While the decomposition of silacyclobutanes as a source of silenes has continued to be studied in the last two decades, the interest has largely focused on mechanisms and kinetic parameters. However, a few reports are listed in Table I of the presumed formation of silenes having previously unpublished substitution patterns, prepared either thermally or photo-chemically from four-membered ring compounds containing silicon. Two cases of particular interest involve the apparent formation of bis-silenes. Very low-pressure pyrolysis of l,4-bis(l-methyl-l-silacyclobutyl)ben-zene94 apparently formed the bis-silene 1, as shown in Eq. (2), which formed a high-molecular-weight polymer under conditions of chemical vapor deposition. 

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