Hybrid Disila-Crown Ethers as Hosts for Ammonium Cations: The O–Si–Si–O Linkage as an Acceptor for Hydrogen Bonding

Host-guest chemistry was performed with disilane-bearing crown ethers and the ammonium cation. Equimolar reactions of 1,2-disila[18]crown-6 (1) or 1,2-disila-benzo[18]crown-6 (2) and NH4PF6 in dichloromethane yielded the respective compounds [NH4(1,2-disila[18]crown-6)]PF6 (3) and [NH4(1,2-disila-benzo[18]crown-6)]PF6 (4). According to X-ray crystallographic, NMR, and IR experiments, the uncommon hydrogen bonding motif O(Si)∙∙∙H could be observed and the use of cooperative effects of ethylene and disilane bridges as an effective way to incorporate guest molecules was illustrated.

Self-organizing cyclolinear organosilicon polymers in bulk and on the surface of water

Cyclolinear organocarbosiloxane polymers with varying content and location of (CH₂)_n groups in the monomer unit were synthesized by reactions of heterofunctional polycondensation and polyaddition of difunctional organocyclosiloxanes and organocyclocarbosiloxanes. Their bulk properties were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray structural analysis. It was shown that on introduction of CH₂ groups into the methylcyclohexasiloxane unit, the polymer retains the ability to self-organize with formation of a mesomorphic state in a wide temperature range, while on introduction of (CH₂)₂ fragments in a cyclotetrasiloxane unit or in a bridge connecting two methylcyclotetra(hexa)siloxane units it does not. Comparison of the X-ray data of dihydroxy derivatives of decamethylcyclohexasiloxane and decamethyl-5-carbocyclohexasiloxane with packing of cyclolinear organosilicon polymers in bulk shows that the polymer inherits the layered type of crystalline structure typical for monomers. Langmuir films of cyclolinear polymethylcarbosiloxanes with different design of monomer units were studied as well. It was revealed that all polymers form monomolecular films at the air/water interface, excluding those having longer hydrophobic fragment than hydrophilic ones. The ability to form multilayers depends on the surroundings of Si atom in the bridge between the cycles.