ELECTROSYNTHESIS, AN ALTERNATIVE FOR THE SYNTHESIS OF POLYCARBOSILANES

The electrochemical reduction of chloromethyldimethylchlorosilane affords polycarbosilanes in high yields and this route constitutes a competitive route to 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-1,3-disilacyclobutane formed in 34% crude yield. The solvent mixture was varied to yield its precursor, Cl(CH2SiMe2)2Cl, in 43% yield after distillation, while electrosynthesis in the presence of dimethyldichlorosilane provided bis(dimethyl-chlorosilyl)methane, another polycarbosilane precursor, in 60% yield after distillation. © 1990.