Kinetics and mechanism of hydrolysis of trialkyl(phenylthio)silanes

Abstract

The hydrolysis in dioxan–water of some trialkyl(phenylthio)silanes has been studied quantitatively in the presence of small amounts of acid and base. The results are consistent with a mechanism which involves a fast protonation of the sulphur atom in acid followed by rate-determining attack of the solvent on the silicon atom and in slightly alkaline medium by a slow attack of the solvent on the sulphur atom concerted with a nucleophilic attack of the base.