The relative gas-phase proton affinities and polarisabilities of alkyl and silyl ethers

Abstract

The relative gas-phase proton affinities of a number of alkyl and silyl ethers have been determined by ion cyclotron resonance spectroscopy and compared with the relative basicities toward weaker protic and Lewis acids. The basicities of the silyl ethers are enhanced by the stronger acid, but are still weaker than the isostructural carbon ethers. The CNDO/2 method has been used to estimate the extent of eletron redistribution in charged silyl and alkyl derivatives.