Silanes

Silane (Silicane) is an inorganic compound with chemical formula . It is a colorless, pyrophoric gas with a sharp, repulsive, pungent smell, somewhat similar to that of acetic acid. Silane is of practical interest as a precursor to elemental silicon. Silanes with alkyl groups are effective water repellents for mineral surfaces such as concrete and masonry. Silanes with both organic and inorganic attachments are used as coupling agents. They are commonly used to apply coatings to surfaces or as an adhesion promoter.

chemical compound

Disilane is a chemical compound with general chemical formula Si2R6 that was first identified in 1902 by Henri Moissan and Samuel Smiles (1877–1953) where R = H. Moissan and Smiles reported disilane as being among the products formed by the action of dilute acids on metal silicides. Although these reactions had been previously investigated by Friedrich Woehler and Heinrich Buff between 1857 and 1858, Moissan and Smiles were the first to explicitly identify disilane. They referred to disilane as silicoethane. Higher members of the homologous series formed in these reactions were subsequently id

saturated silicon hydrides, analogues of the alkanes; i.e. compounds of the general formula SiₙH₂ₙ₊₂

class of organic compounds

Trisilane is the silane with the formula H2Si(SiH3)2. A liquid at standard temperature and pressure, it is a silicon analogue of propane. In contrast with propane, however, trisilane ignites spontaneously in air.

Tribromosilane is the chemical compound with the formula HBr3Si. At high temperatures, it decomposes to produce silicon, and is an alternative to purified trichlorosilane of ultrapure silicon in the semiconductor industry.

Iodosilane is a chemical compound of silicon, hydrogen, and iodine. It is a colorless monoclinic crystal of space group P21/c at −157 °C.

Octadecyltrimethoxysilane (OTMS) is an organosilicon compound. This colorless liquid is used for preparing hydrophobic coatings and self-assembled monolayers. It is sensitive toward water, irreversibly degrading to a siloxane polymer. It places a C18H39SiO3 "cap" on oxide surfaces. The formation of OTMS monolayers is used for converting hydrophilic surfaces to hydrophobic surfaces, e.g. for use in certain areas of nanotechnology and analytical chemistry.

Trifluorosilane is the chemical compound with the formula F3HSi. At standard temperature and pressure, trifluorosilane is a colorless gas. Note that the free radical F3Si is often also referred to as trifluorosilane, although more properly referred to as trifluorosilyl.

Tetrasilane is a silane with the structure formula SiH3–(SiH2)2–SiH3. It is the silane analog of butane.

Cyclopentasilane is a cyclic compound of silicon and hydrogen with the chemical formula . Containing five silicon atoms arranged in a pentagonal ring, it is the silicon analog of cyclopentane. Cyclopentasilane is a colorless pyrophoric liquid. It is an oligosilane. It is of research interest because of its potential use as a liquid silicon ink for printing silicon structures on integrated circuits or solar cells.

Hydrosilanes are tetravalent silicon compounds containing one or more Si-H bond. The parent hydrosilane is silane (SiH4). Commonly, hydrosilane refers to organosilicon derivatives. Examples include phenylsilane (PhSiH3) and triethoxysilane ((C2H5O)3SiH). Polymers and oligomers terminated with hydrosilanes are resins that are used to make useful materials like caulks.

Aurosilane is an inorganic compound with a chemical formula of SiAu4. In this compound, gold acts as an electron acceptor with a valence of –1. Aurosilane has been isolated as a type of gold silane. Its unit cell parameters are a = 5.658, c = 5.605 A. The LUMO and the four Si-Au bonding orbitals of SiAu4 are similar to those of SiH4.

thumb|General repeating unit of polysilanes, where the R's are the same or different organic groups. Polysilanes are organosilicon compounds with the formula (R2Si)n. They are relatives of traditional organic polymers but their backbones are composed of silicon atoms. They exhibit distinctive optical and electrical properties. They are mainly used as precursors to silicon carbide. The simplest polysilane would be (SiH2)n, which is mainly of theoretical, not practical interest.