Iron-catalyzed depolymerizations of end-of-life silicones with fatty alcohols

Iron(II)-Catalyzed Activation of Si-N and Si-O Bonds Using Hydroboranes

We report the activation and functionalization of Si-N bonds with pinacol borane catalyzed by a three-coordinate iron(II) β-diketiminate complex. The reactions proceed via the mild activation of silazanes to yield useful hydrosilanes and aminoboranes. The reaction is studied by kinetic analysis, along with a detailed investigation of decomposition pathways using catecholborane as an analogue of the pinacol borane used in catalysis. We have extended the methodology to develop a polycarbosilazane depolymerization strategy, which generates hydrosilane quantitatively along with complete conversion to the Bpin-protected diamine. The analogous Si-O bond cleavage can also be achieved with heating, using silyl ether starting materials to generate hydrosilane and alkoxyborane products. Depolymerization of poly(silyl ether)s using our strategy successfully converts the polymer to 90% Bpin-protected alcohols.

Chemical Recycling of High-Molecular-Weight Organosilicon Compounds in Supercritical Fluids

The main known patterns of thermal and/or catalytic destruction of high-molecular-weight organosilicon compounds are considered from the viewpoint of the prospects for processing their wastes. The advantages of using supercritical fluids in plastic recycling are outlined. They are related to a high diffusion rate, efficient extraction of degradation products, the dependence of solvent properties on pressure and temperature, etc. A promising area for further research is described concerning the application of supercritical fluids for processing the wastes of organosilicon macromolecular compounds.

Negative Ion Mode Electrospray Tandem Mass Spectrometry of Hydroxy-Terminated Polydimethylsiloxanes Formed upon in situ Methanolysis

Ethoxy-, methoxy- and hydroxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS) are formed as the result of the methanolysis of diethoxy-ended PDMS during its infusion in electrospray ionization. The negative ion mode permits only hydroxy-ended products to be detected, and isomeric interference is avoided in single stage and tandem mass spectrometry. The routes for the fragmentation of (ethyl, hydroxy)-, (methyl, hydroxy)- and (hydro, hydroxy)-ended PDMS upon collision activated dissociation (CAD) were explored in the negative ion mode using either formate or acetate anion adduction. Symmetrical (hydro, hydroxy)-ended PDMS decomposed to product ions carrying one of the hydroxy terminations through the abstraction of an acidic hydrogen and depolymerization (expulsion of cyclic neutral species) regardless of the adducted anion. Asymmetric (ethyl, hydroxy)-ended (resp. (methyl, hydroxy)-ended) PDMS yielded both ethoxy-ended (resp. methoxy-ended) fragment ions through the abstraction of the only acidic hydrogens and linear product ions carrying both terminations still interacted with the anion. The production of information-rich ethoxy-ended (resp. methoxy-ended) fragment ions was limited by formate but favored when acetate (higher proton affinity) was used in a CAD fingerprint complementary to the positive ion mode.