HYDROGENOLYSIS OF DISILANES RESULTING FROM INDUSTRIAL SYNTHESIS OF METHYLCHLOROSILANES - FORMATION OF MESIHCL2 AND ME2SIHCL

The chlorodisilane residue from the industrial synthesis of methylchlorosilanes is cleaved under hydrogen (25 bars) in the presence of HMPT/nickelocene mixture or nickel (resulting from the reduction of dry NiCl2 by Et3SiH) and leads to the formation of methyldichlorosilane (noble product), to the detriment of the methyltrichlorosilane (much less noble). This reaction also gives an appreciable amount of the rare and very useful dimethylchlorosilane. © 1978.