<i>cis,cis-</i>1,3,5-Trihydroxynonamethylcyclohexasilane: A Cyclopolysilane with Unusual Properties

cis,cis-Trihydroxynonamethylcyclohexasilane (2) is easily accessible by the controlled hydrolysis of Cl3Si6Me9 in the presence of Et3N as an auxiliary base. The crystal structure of 2, as determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, exhibits “barrel-type” face-to-face dimeric aggregates held together by six intermolecular hydrogen bonds. NMR and IR spectra suggest that these OH-bonded aggregates are also present in nonpolar solutions. Full geometry optimization (B3LYP/TZVP) of the gas-phase structure of 2 further reveals unusually high energy differences between different conformers and a considerable stabilization of the molecule upon dimerization due to O−H hydrogen bonding. Time-dependent DFT B3LYP/TZVP calculations allow for a detailed interpretation of the UV absorption spectra of 2. The electronic transitions occur between occupied molecular orbitals with predominant σ(Si−Si) character and a small contribution of the oxygen lone pairs, and virtual MOs with contributions from σ*(Si−C), σ*(Si−O), and σ*(Si−Si) type orbitals. If 2 is reacted with MeSiCl3/Et3N, the adamantane-like cage MeSi(O3Si6Me9) (4) is obtained without the formation of considerable amounts of polymeric material, which is most likely a consequence of the preferred conformation of 2 with three adjacent OH groups in axial positions.