<i>N,N</i>-bis-(dimethylfluorosilylmethyl)amides of <i>N</i>-organosulfonylproline and sarcosine: synthesis, structure, stereodynamic behaviour and <i>in silico</i> studies

(O→Si)-Chelate difluorides R3R2NCH(R1)C(O)N(CH2SiMe2F)2 (9a–c, R1R2 = (CH2)3, R3 = Ms (a), Ts (b); R1 = H, R2 = Me, R3 = Ms (c)), containing one penta- and one tetracoordinate silicon atoms were synthesized by silylmethylation of amides R3R2NCH(R1)C(O)NH2, subsequent hydrolysis of unstable intermediates R3R2NCH(R1)C(O)N(CH2SiMe2Cl)2 (7a–c) into 4-acyl-2,6-disilamorpholines R3R2NCH(R1)C(O)N(CH2SiMe2O)2 (8a–c) and the reaction of the latter compounds with BF3·Et2O. The structures of disilamorpholines 8a,c and difluoride 9a were confirmed by an X-ray diffraction study. According to the IR and NMR data, the O→Si coordination in solutions of these compounds was weaker than that in the solid state due to effective solvation of the Si–F bond. A permutational isomerisation involving an exchange of equatorial Me groups at the pentacoordinate Si atom in complexes 9a–c was detected, and its activational parameters were determined by 1H DNMR. In silico estimation of possible pharmacological effects and acute rat toxicity by PASS Online and GUSAR Online services showed a potential for their further pharmacological study

Influence of the initial chemical conditions on the rational design of silica particles

The influence of the water content in the initial composition on the size of silica particles produced using the Stöber process is well known. We have shown that there are three morphological regimes defined by compositional boundaries. At low water levels (below stoichiometric ratio of water:tetraethoxysilane), very high surface area and aggregated structures are formed; at high water content (>40 wt%) similar structures are also seen. Between these two boundary conditions, discrete particles are formed whose size are dictated by the water content. Within the compositional regime that enables the classical Stöber silica, the structural evolution shows a more rapid attainment of final particle size than the rate of formation of silica supporting the monomer addition hypothesis. The clearer understanding of the role of the initial composition on the output of this synthesis method will be of considerable use for the establishment of reliable reproducible silica production for future industrial adoption

The Preparation of hexasilsesquioxane (T6) cages by "non aqueous" hydrolysis of trichlorosilanes

Hexasilsesquioxane cages (T6) have been prepared from a range of alkyl and aryl trichlorosilanes using a "non aqueous" hydrolysis with dimethyl sulfoxide