IChO 1980 · Theory problem 5

Inorganic chemistry: alkaline hydrolysis of a partially methylated disilane

(Inorganic chemistry)

From 20 mg of partially methylated disilane, \(\ce{Si2H_{6-x}(CH3)_{x}}\), 27.8 cm³ of hydrogen are evolved during alkaline hydrolysis at 294 K and 97400 Pa.

5.1 Why the Si-Si bond of the disilane reacts during hydrolysis?

5.2 Why the Si-H bonds of the disilane react during hydrolysis?

5.3 Calculate the degree of substitution \(x\) of the methylated disilane.

5.4 Write the complete reaction equation for the hydrolysis.

5.5 How many isomers can form the calculated compound? Give the structural formula for each isomer.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

  • 5.1: Nucleophilic attack at silicon permits cleavage of the \(\ce{Si-Si}\) bond, driven by formation of strong \(\ce{Si-O}\) bonds. Replacing both ends of this bond with hydroxyl groups produces one equivalent of hydrogen.
  • 5.2: The \(\ce{Si-H}\) bonds are polarized toward hydrogen. Their hydrogen has hydride character and combines with protonic hydrogen from water, producing one equivalent of hydrogen per \(\ce{Si-H}\) bond.
  • 5.3: \(\boxed{x=2}\). The compound is dimethyldisilane, \(\ce{Si2H4(CH3)2}\), with molecular formula \(\ce{C2H10Si2}\).
  • 5.4: Written with the primary, uncondensed silanol products, the equations for the two possible isomers are \[ \ce{(CH3)2SiH-SiH3 + 6H2O ->[OH-] (CH3)2Si(OH)2 + Si(OH)4 + 5H2} \] and \[ \ce{CH3SiH2-SiH2CH3 + 6H2O ->[OH-] 2CH3Si(OH)3 + 5H2}. \] Their alkaline ionic forms are discussed below.
  • 5.5: There are two constitutional isomers within the specified methylated-disilane family:
  • 1,1-Dimethyldisilane: \(\ce{(CH3)2SiH-SiH3}\), C[SiH](C)[SiH3].
  • 1,2-Dimethyldisilane: \(\ce{CH3SiH2-SiH2CH3}\), C[SiH2][SiH2]C.

Solution

5.1 — Hydrolysis of the silicon–silicon bond

The parent compound is disilane, \(\ce{Si2H6}\), [SiH3][SiH3]. The small species involved are water, \(\ce{H2O}\), O; hydroxide ion, \(\ce{OH-}\), [OH-]; and dihydrogen, \(\ce{H2}\), [H][H].

Silicon can undergo nucleophilic attack by hydroxide through an increase in its coordination number. This facilitates cleavage of the relatively weak \(\ce{Si-Si}\) bond. Formation of strong \(\ce{Si-O}\) bonds makes the overall transformation favourable; the starting \(\ce{Si-Si}\) bond does not have to be polar.

For hydrogen accounting, cleavage replaces the \(\ce{Si-Si}\) bond with one hydroxyl group on each silicon. Two water molecules supply these hydroxyl groups, leaving two hydrogen atoms that form one molecule of dihydrogen.

Thus, \[ \boxed{\text{one }\ce{Si-Si}\text{ bond contributes one }\ce{H2}.} \]

This also agrees with oxidation-state accounting: each silicon changes from \(+\mathrm{III}\) to \(+\mathrm{IV}\), supplying two electrons in total to reduce water-derived hydrogen.

5.2 — Hydrolysis of the silicon–hydrogen bonds

Silicon is less electronegative than hydrogen, so a \(\ce{Si-H}\) bond has partially positive silicon and partially negative, hydridic hydrogen.

During hydrolysis, a hydroxyl group replaces the silicon-bound hydrogen. That hydrogen combines with a protonic hydrogen from water to form dihydrogen. Consequently, replacing each \(\ce{Si-H}\) bond with a \(\ce{Si-OH}\) group consumes one water molecule and releases one hydrogen molecule.

The methyl groups remain attached through their \(\ce{Si-C}\) bonds. Therefore, a molecule containing \(6-x\) silicon-bound hydrogen atoms and one \(\ce{Si-Si}\) bond gives \[ \boxed{n(\ce{H2})=(7-x)\,n(\text{methylated disilane}).} \]

5.3 — Calculation of \(x\)

Treating the hydrogen as an ideal gas, with \[ V=27.8\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{m^3} \] and \(R=8.314\ \mathrm{Pa\,m^3\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}}\), \[ \begin{aligned} n(\ce{H2}) &=\frac{PV}{RT}\\ &=\frac{(97400\ \mathrm{Pa})(27.8\times10^{-6}\ \mathrm{m^3})} {(8.314\ \mathrm{Pa\,m^3\,mol^{-1}\,K^{-1}})(294\ \mathrm{K})}\\ &=1.108\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol}. \end{aligned} \]

Using standard atomic molar masses \(28.085\), \(12.011\), and \(1.008\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\) for silicon, carbon, and hydrogen, respectively, \[ \begin{aligned} M(x) &=2(28.085)+(6-x)(1.008) +x\bigl(12.011+3(1.008)\bigr)\\ &=(62.218+14.027x)\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \end{aligned} \]

The sample mass is \(0.020\ \mathrm{g}\), so \[ 1.108\times10^{-3}\ \mathrm{mol} =(7-x)\frac{0.020\ \mathrm{g}} {(62.218+14.027x)\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}}. \]

Solving with unrounded intermediate values gives \(x\approx2.00\). Since \(x\) counts methyl substituents, \[ \boxed{x=2}. \]

As a check, the molar mass is \(90.27\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\), giving approximately \(2.22\times10^{-4}\ \mathrm{mol}\) of compound. Its four \(\ce{Si-H}\) bonds and one \(\ce{Si-Si}\) bond yield five equivalents of hydrogen, consistent with the measured volume.

5.4 — Complete hydrolysis equations

Each silicon acquires an hydroxyl group for every \(\ce{Si-H}\) bond and for its end of the \(\ce{Si-Si}\) bond. The primary products are:

Product Name SMILES
\(\ce{(CH3)2Si(OH)2}\) Dimethylsilanediol C[Si](C)(O)O
\(\ce{Si(OH)4}\) Orthosilicic acid O[Si](O)(O)O
\(\ce{CH3Si(OH)3}\) Methylsilanetriol C[Si](O)(O)O

For 1,1-dimethyldisilane, the silicon bearing two methyl groups acquires two hydroxyl groups; the other silicon acquires four: \[ \boxed{\ce{(CH3)2SiH-SiH3 + 6H2O ->[OH-] (CH3)2Si(OH)2 + Si(OH)4 + 5H2}}. \]

For 1,2-dimethyldisilane, each silicon acquires three hydroxyl groups: \[ \boxed{\ce{CH3SiH2-SiH2CH3 + 6H2O ->[OH-] 2CH3Si(OH)3 + 5H2}}. \]

These equations express complete cleavage of the hydrolysable bonds. In alkaline solution, the hydroxylated products undergo acid–base equilibration. For example, with one hydroxyl group deprotonated on each silicon, the corresponding balanced net ionic equations are \[ \ce{(CH3)2SiH-SiH3 + 4H2O + 2OH- -> [(CH3)2Si(OH)O]- + [Si(OH)3O]- + 5H2} \] and \[ \ce{CH3SiH2-SiH2CH3 + 4H2O + 2OH- -> 2[CH3Si(OH)2O]- + 5H2}. \]

The ions in these representations are:

Ion Name SMILES
\(\ce{[(CH3)2Si(OH)O]-}\) Hydroxy(dimethyl)silanolate C[Si](C)(O)[O-]
\(\ce{[Si(OH)3O]-}\) Trihydrogen orthosilicate O[Si](O)(O)[O-]
\(\ce{[CH3Si(OH)2O]-}\) Dihydroxy(methyl)silanolate C[Si](O)(O)[O-]

Further deprotonation or condensation depends on solution conditions and does not change the five-equivalent hydrogen yield.

5.5 — Isomer enumeration

Distribute the two methyl groups between the two equivalent silicon atoms. The distinct distributions are \[ (2,0)\qquad\text{and}\qquad(1,1). \] The distribution \((0,2)\) is identical to \((2,0)\) after exchanging the silicon atoms.

Isomer Structural formula SMILES
1,1-Dimethyldisilane \(\ce{(CH3)2SiH-SiH3}\) C[SiH](C)[SiH3]
1,2-Dimethyldisilane \(\ce{CH3SiH2-SiH2CH3}\) C[SiH2][SiH2]C

Neither structure has a stereogenic silicon centre: each silicon has at least two identical substituents. Rotation about the single \(\ce{Si-Si}\) bond gives conformations, not additional constitutional isomers.

Thus, the requested number is \(\boxed{2}\).

The solution was checked against the official solution.