Conversion of the silicone poly(dimethylsiloxane) by thallium(I) ethoxide into the ladder polymer [{Tl2(OSiMe2)O}2]n; X-ray structure of the product and of thallium(I) triphenylsilanolate

Abstract

Treating silicone grease (OSiMe₂)_m with an excess of TlOEt in PhMe at ambient temperature instantly yields the poly(thalliodimethylsiloxane)[{Tl₂(OSiMe₂)₂O}₂]_n which, like [Tl(µ₃-OSiPh₃)]₄(obtained similarly from the ethoxide and HOSiPh₃), has been characterised by X-ray crystallography; both structures contain Tl₄O₄ cuboids [Tl–O distances and O–Tl–O angles are in the range 2.48(2)–2.78(2)Å and 75.4(5)–84.8(6)°].