A new route to α-chloroalkylsilanes. Use of chloroalkyl-lithium compounds and chloroalkylmagnesium halides as in situ reagents

Abstract

Good yields of α-chloroalkylsilanes have been obtained by the addition of n-butyl-lithium to a mixture of a chlorosilane and certain chloroalkanes in tetrahydrofuran at –120°. It is proposed that the products are formed essentially by an in situ reaction of chloroalkyl-lithium derivatives with the chlorosilane. The reaction has been used to prepare compounds containing Si·CCl₂·Si linkages. Ethylmagnesium bromide behaves in a similar way to n-butyl-lithium in some cases, but gives much lower yields of the α-chloroalkylsilane.