Silyl radicals stability

Developments in the synthesis and characterization of stable silylenes (RiSi ) open a new route for the generation of silyl radicals. For example, dialkylsilylene 2 is monomeric and stable at 0 °C, whereas N-heterocyclic silylene 3 is stable at room temperature under anaerobic conditions. The reactions of silylene 3 with a variety of free radicals have been studied by product characterization, EPR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations (Reaction 3). EPR studies have shown the formation of several radical adducts 4, which represent a new type of neutral silyl radicals stabilized by delocalization. The products obtained by addition of 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-l-piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) to silylenes 2 and 3 has been studied in some detail. ... 

Hybrids of the type sp3 are unjustified for disilane. An important conclusion from the above hybridization statement No. 4 is concerned with the contrasting structures of the radicals SiH3 and CH3. The planar geometry of the methyl radical can readily be explained by the (bond-strengthening) sp2-hy-bridization, while the pyramidal silyl radical is thought to be stabilized (with respect to the planar arrangement) through the s-admixture to the lone electron orbital. 

The effects of silyl groups on the chemical behavior of the anion radicals generated by cathodic reduction is also noteworthy. It is well known that silyl groups stabilize a negative charge at the a position. Therefore, it seems to be reasonable to consider that the anion radicals of re-systems are stabilized by a-silyl substitution. The interaction of the half-filled re orbital of the anion radical with the empty low-lying orbital of the silicon (such as dx-pK interaction) results in partial electron donation from the re-system to the silicon atom which eventually stabilizes the anion radical. 

It should be recognized that the stability of cation radicals generated by anodic oxidation is also affected by jS-silyl substitution. Stabilization of car-bocations by a silyl group situated at the -position is well known as the / effect . The interaction of the C Si a orbital with the empty p orbital of the carbon stabilizes the carbocation. Therefore, we can expect similar effects of silicon for cation radical species. The interaction of the filled C-Si a orbital with the half-filled orbital of the carbon may stabilize the cation radical. 

Knowledge of bond dissociation enthalpies (DH) has always been considered fundamental for understanding kinetics and mechanisms of free radicals. DHs offer an interesting window through which to view stability of radicals. Indeed, based on Reaction (2.1) the bond dissociation enthalpy of silanes D/f(R3Si—H) is related to enthalpy of formation of silyl radicals, A//f (RsSi ), by Equation (2.2). 

The hydrogen abstraction from the Si—H moiety of silanes is fundamentally important not only because it is the method of choice for studying spectroscopically the silyl radicals but also because it is associated with the reduction of organic molecules, process stabilizers and organic modification of silicon surfaces. 

In contrast, in the excited state the primary cleavage mechanism in silacyclobutanes like 5 involves the breaking of a silicon-carbon bond23. The initially formed silyl radicals 15 and 16 are stabilized by an intramolecular disproportionation reaction giving the silenes 17 and 18 and the homoallylsilane 19.17 and 18 were identified by their trapping products (20, 21) with methanol (equation 5)23. From pyrolysis of Z-5 a different set of products from 1,4-diradical disproportionation is obtained, which can be attributed to predominant cleavage of the carbon-carbon bond23. 

Divalent state stabilization energies are not easy to come by, as they require knowledge of both the first and second BDE, and the reactive intermediates MR2 are not trivially characterized. Quantum mechanical studies are certainly ahead of experiment in this area, and we can combine the results of two separate studies, one by Coolidge and Borden (109) and the other by Luke et al. (88), to assemble a small list of DSSEs for monosubstituted carbenes and silylenes. Specifically, Coolidge and Borden determined the effects of substituents, X, on the stability of methyl and silyl radicals through determination of the heat of reaction... 

Many of the results reviewed here suggest that a replacement of the usual alkyl or aryl substituents by silyl substituents in unsaturated silicon and germanium compounds may be rewarding. As we noted, silyl substituents do tilt the properties of silylenes, silyl radicals, and sequential BDE trends toward those in carbon chemistry. They have already been shown to stabilize disilenes with respect to dissociation to two silylenes, and this may be crucial to the further development of digermene and distannene chemistry. 

Both a- and P-silyl radicals are stabilized relative to the all-carbon systems. Although these stabilizations are suflSciently large to control a great deal of chemistry, their magnitudes (probably 3 kcal/mol) are far less than for the analogous cations. The relative reactivities for H abstraction by the tert-hutoxy radical are as follows ... 

In the presence of a radical initiator like peroxide or AIBN, or under UV or y-ray irradiation, the Si—H bond is cleaved homolytically to afford a silyl radical (3 Scheme 1), which adds across a C=C or bond. The regioselectivity of the addition is governed mainly by the stability of the newly generated radical center. The resulting radical (4) picks up hydrogen from another molecule of hydrosilane to complete the catalytic cycle and regenerate the active silyl radical (3). ... 

In this study we aimed to evaluate the relationship between the central Si-Si bond length of the branched polysilanes a and the kinetic stability of corresponding silyl radicals b. 

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