Silanes refers to diverse kinds of charge-neutral silicon compounds with the formula . The R substituents can any combination of organic or inorganic groups. Most silanes contain Si-C bonds, and are discussed under

organosilicon compound Organosilicon compounds are organometallic compounds containing carbon–silicon bonds. Organosilicon chemistry is the corresponding science of their preparation and properties. Most organosilicon compounds are similar to the ordinary organic c ...

s. Examples: *

Silane Silane is an inorganic compound with chemical formula, . It is a colourless, pyrophoric, toxic gas with a sharp, repulsive smell, somewhat similar to that of acetic acid. Silane is of practical interest as a precursor to elemental silicon. Sila ...

, the parent. *

Binary silicon-hydrogen compounds Silanes are saturated chemical compounds with the empirical formula SixHy. They are hydrosilanes, a class of compounds that includes compounds with Si-H and other Si-X bonds. All contain tetrahedral silicon and terminal hydrides. They only have Si ...

(which are sometimes called silanes also) includes silane itself but also compounds with Si-Si bonds including

disilane Disilane is a chemical compound with chemical formula Si2H6 that was identified in 1902 by Henri Moissan and Samuel Smiles (1877–1953). Moissan and Smiles reported disilane as being among the products formed by the action of dilute acids on meta ...

and longer chains. *Silanes with one, two, three, or four Si-H bonds are called

hydrosilane 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 ((C2H5 ...

s. Silane itself is the parent member. Examples:

triethylsilane Triethylsilane is the organosilicon compound with the formula (C2H5)3SiH. It is a trialkylsilane. The Si-H bond is reactive. This colorless liquid is used in organic synthesis as a reducing agent and as a precursor to silyl ethers. As one of the ...

() and triethoxysilane (). *

Polysilanes 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 use ...

are organosilicon compounds with the formula . They include all

binary silicon-hydrogen compounds Silanes are saturated chemical compounds with the empirical formula SixHy. They are hydrosilanes, a class of compounds that includes compounds with Si-H and other Si-X bonds. All contain tetrahedral silicon and terminal hydrides. They only have Si ...

except the parent, although these tend to be less useful because they are fragile. Attracting more interest, are the organic derivatives such as polydimethylsilane and

dodecamethylcyclohexasilane Dodecamethylcyclohexasilane is the organosilicon compound with the formula . It is one of the more readily prepared and easily handled polysilanes. Dodecamethylcyclohexasilane is produced by reduction of dimethyldichlorosilane with sodium-potassi ...

* Chlorosilanes have Si-Cl bonds. Examples:

trichlorosilane Trichlorosilane is an inorganic compound with the formula HCl3Si. It is a colourless, volatile liquid. Purified trichlorosilane is the principal precursor to ultrapure silicon in the semiconductor industry. In water, it rapidly decomposes to pr ...

() and tetrachlorosilane () *Organosilanes are a class of charge-neutral

s. Example: tetramethylsilane () By tradition, compounds with Si-O-Si bonds are usually not referred to as silanes. Instead, they are called siloxanes. One example is hexamethyldisiloxane, .

References

{{reflist Silanes Trimethylsilyl compounds Carbosilanes

See also

References