Poly(trifluoromethanesulfonatosilyl)methanes–Precursors to Polysilylmethanes

A new and efficient synthetic route to di- and tri(silyl)methane is presented. Starting from bis- and tris(phenylsilyl)methane, bis- and tris(trifluoromethanesulfonatosilyl)methane can be obtained by Si–Ph cleavage with equivalent quantities of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (triflic acid). Their reduction with lithium aluminium hydride yields di- and tri(silyl)methane. Substitution of the previously employed liquid anhydrous hydrogen bromide by triflic acid thus offers an experimentally more simple alternative with shorter reaction times and high selectivity.