Structural studies of oligosilanes produced by catalytic dehydrogenative coupling of primary organosilanes

Abstract

The structures of some poly(organosilylenes), [Formula: see text] (R = Ph, p-tolyl, n-hexyl, and benzyl), produced by catalytic dehydrogenative coupling of primary silanes have been studied by infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectroscopies. These results, combined with data on molecular weights and molecular weight distributions from vapour pressure osmometry and gel permeation chromatography, lead to the conclusion that the polymers are linear and have SiH₂R end groups. The polymers all have degrees of polymerization of ca. 10 and very narrow molecular weight dipersions. Some possible features of the mechanism that gives rise to this behaviour are discussed.