The mechanism of silicon−fluorine and silicon−carbon bond
cleavage in organofluorosilanes and -silicates is
analyzed with the aid of molecular orbital calculations. The
optimized geometries of reactants and intermediates
are calculated, and these calculations support the view that cleavage
of Si−F bonds occurs by way of fluorine-bridged Si--F--Si intermediates. Cleavage of a Si−C bond in
PhSiF3 takes place in the presence of fluoride
ion
and oxidizing agents, and the calculations are in agreement with the
formation of PhSiF4
- and
PhSiF5
2-, followed
by oxidation to a radical anion
PhSiF5
•-. The latter
species, however, is predicted to decompose rapidly to
give
anionic SiF5
-, and phenyl radicals.
These calculations and the proposed mechanisms of bond cleavage
are in
agreement with experimental data, where available.