The Carbon–Silicon Bond Cleavage of Organosilicon Compounds in Supercritical Water

Abstract

Abstract Arylsilanes, alkenylsilanes, allylic silanes, and alkylsilanes were found to undergo extremely facile and rapid C–Si bond cleavage in supercritical water. Rapid C–Si bond cleavage occurred even with robust unactivated tetraalkylsilanes. The control experiments revealed the dramatic difference between the supercritical and subcritical conditions, and that between supercritical water and supercritical methanol, attesting to a unique reactivity of supercritical water in C–Si bond cleavage. It was also found that acids, such as HCl, HBr, and H2SO4, promote C–Si bond cleavage in supercritical water.