Thermal Reaction of Octasilacubane with Sulfur, Selenium, and Tellurium: Formation of Novel Cage Systems

Abstract

The thermal reaction of an octathexyloctasilacubane, R₈Si₈ (R = thexyl: 1,1,2-trimethypropyl), with sulfur in a sealed tube gave a sulfur-inserted novel compound, R₈Si₈S, together with an unexpected ring-opening compound. The reaction with selenium in a similar condition gave a ring-opening compound exclusively. With tellurium, the thermal reaction of the octasilacubane resulted in the formation of a tellurium-inserted compound (R₈Si₈Te), which was decomposed in solution to give the octasilacubane and tellurium.

Keywords:

• Cage polysilane
• ring opening
• silicon-sulfur compounds
• skeletal rearrangement
• thermal reaction