Vibrational frequencies, silenes

Matrix IR spectra of various silenes are important analytical features and allow detection of these intermediates in very complex reaction mixtures. Thus, the vibrational frequencies of Me2Si=CH2 were used in the study of the pyrolysis mechanism of allyltrimethylsilane [120] (Mal tsev et al., 1983). It was found that two pathways occur simultaneously for this reaction (Scheme 6). On the one hand, thermal destruction of the silane [120] results in formation of propylene and silene [117] (retroene reaction) on the other hand, homolytic cleavage of the Si—C bond leads to the generation of free allyl and trimethylsilyl radicals. While both the silene [117] and allyl radical [115] were stabilized and detected in the argon matrix, the radical SiMc3 was unstable under the pyrolysis conditions and decomposed to form low-molecular products. 

A large number of calculations have been done to determine the vibrational frequencies of some simple silenes. The parent silene and its deuterated analogs have been investigated (4,9,188) as well as 1,1-dimethylsilene, its deuterated derivatives (38,181), and 1,1-dichlorosilene (4). For the undeuterated compounds a Si=C stretching vibration of approximately 1000 cm-1 was calculated. Deuteration usually results in a decrease of this value. 

From that value a force constant of k = 5.6 mdynA 1 for the Si=C double bond is deduced255. This frequency is clearly higher than the usual range for Si—C stretch vibrations but substantially less than for C=C stretches, both because Si is heavier than C and because the Si=C bond is weaker than the C=C bond. More suitable for the experimental characterization is the vinylic Si—H stretch vibration which gives rise to a medium band at 2239 cm-1 (25) or 2187 cm-1 (2)29, hypsochromically shifted by around 100 cm-1 relative to the Si—H stretch in simple silanes. A detailed analysis of the vibrational spectra of matrix-isolated MeHSi=CH2 26 using polarized IR spectroscopy established IR transition moment directions relative to the tot -transition moment (Si-C axis) in 26156. These data provide detailed information about the vibrational modes and about the structure of 26156. The bathochromic shift of the Si=C stretch in the isomeric 1,3-silabuta-l,3-dienes 289 and 290 by around 70 cm 1 compared with the Si=C stretch in simple silenes (Table 15), was interpreted as an indication of Si=C—C=C and C=Si—C=C 7r-conjugation159. 

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