Reaction of Germanium Tetrachloride with Chloro(phenyl)silanes in the Presence of Aluminum Chloride

Abstract

The effect of the quantity of aluminum chloride on the direction and depth of reaction of germanium tetrachloride with chloro(phenyl)silanes of the general formula Ph_nSiCl_4−n (n = 1 – 3) was studied to show that radical exchange between germanium and silicon is initiated only if the mixture contains no less than 2.5–5 wt % of aluminum chloride. With trichloro(phenyl)silane, the radical exchange is initiated at 5 wt % of aluminum chloride and results in exclusive formation of trichloro(phenyl)germane. The reactions of GeCl₄ with dichlorodiphenylsilane and chlorotriphenylsilane in the presence of 2.5–7.5 wt % of aluminum chloride give dichlorodiphenylgermane as the major product, and at AlCl₃ concentrations of above 10 wt % the major product becomes to be trichloro(phenyl)germane.