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Updated: Jun 28, 2026

Characterizing Lewis Pairs Using Titration Coupled with In Situ Infrared Spectroscopy
Published on: February 20, 2020
Lewis-acid-assisted methyl exchange reactions in silylated aminodichloroarsanes
Dirk Michalik1, Axel Schulz, Alexander Villinger
1Institut für Chemie, Abteilung Anorganische Chemie, Universität Rostock, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 3a, 18059 Rostock, Germany.
Abstract:
Lewis-acid-assisted methyl/chlorine, methyl/azide, and methyl/triflate exchange reactions between silicon and arsenic centers have been studied and applied to different silylated aminoarsane species leading to a number of new methylarsane compounds: bis(trimethylsilyl)amino(dichloro)arsane (3) was reacted with GaCl(3) yielding a bis(chlorodimethylsilyl)-tetramethyl-cyclo-disilazane (4) accompanied by the release of Me(2)AsCl, while trimethylsilyl(m-terphenyl)amino(dichloro)arsane (5) (m-terphenyl = 2,6-Mes(2)-C(6)H(3), Mes = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)) reacted with GaCl(3) to give dichloromethylsilyl(m-terphenyl)aminodimethylarsane (6). In the presence of trimethylsilylazide, trimethylsilyl(m-terphenyl)amino(dichloro)arsane displays a methyl/azide exchange triggered by the action of GaCl(3) yielding azidodimethylsilyl(m-terphenyl)amino(chloro)methylarsane (7). Moreover, methyl/triflate exchange reactions have been observed in the reaction of trimethylsilyl(m-terphenyl)amino(dichloro)arsane (i) with 1 equiv of AgOTf (OTf = triflate) yielding N-(trifluoromethylsulfonatodimethylsilyl)-N-(m-terphenyl)amino(methyl)chloroarsane (8) and (ii) with 2 equiv of AgOTf yielding N-(trifluoromethylsulfonatodimethylsilyl)-N-(m-terphenyl)trifluoromethylsulfonatomethylarsane (9). All new compounds (3-9) have been fully characterized by means of vibrational spectroscopy, X-ray, CHN analysis, MS, and NMR studies. A possible reaction mechanism is discussed starting from an initial chloride abstraction and the intermediate formation of a cationic iminoarsane species. In a second step, a methyl shift from the silicon to the arsenic center occurs.
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