Electron, hydride, and fluoride affinities of silicon-containing species: computational studies

The distance dependence of silicon substitution on the electron affinity (EA) of carbon radicals has been studied using computational methods in SiH3(CH2)nCH2 (A) and SiH2F(CH2)nCH2 (B). Large EAs result when n = 0 for both A and B. The result for A is compared with the experimental EA value of (CH3)3SiCH2. Similar comparisons with known EAs (CH3 and SiH3) establish the validity of the computational approach. Fluorine substitution in SiH2FCH2 is consistent with other fluorine substitution effects. When n > 1, the anions of both A and B cyclize to pentacoordinate structures in which silicon has trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The corresponding EA values raise important questions about computed EAs that result from profound geometry changes between radicals and anions. Anions that have not cyclized give rise to EA values more easily interpreted. Such results, combined with computations of vertical attachment energies, indicate that the EA values of A and B attenuate rapidly for n > 1, quickly approaching that of CH3. Pentacoordination effects of silicon anions were also studied for SiH4, (CH3)2SiH2, 1-silacyclopropane, 1-silacyclobutane, and 1-silacyclopentane.