Siloxides are chemical compounds with the formula R3SiOM, where R is usually an organic group and M is usually a metal cation. Also called silanolates, they are derived by deprotonation of silanols. They also arise by the degradation of siloxanes by base:
R3SiOSiR3 + 2 NaOH → 2 R3SiONa + H2OCleavage of cyclic siloxanes affords siloxides:
(Me2SiO)3 + MeLi → Me3SiOSiMe2OSiMe2OLiThese anions function as ligands for metal ions, forming complexes similar to metal alkoxides. Sodium trimethylsiloxide is useful for generating metal complexes by salt metathesis reactions. A very bulky siloxide is tert-butyl3SiO−, sometimes called silox.
Siloxides are weaker net donors than alkoxides because pπ-d donation has to compete with backbonding from the oxygen atom into the low-lying Si-C σ* orbitals.
References
Krempner, Clemens (2011). "Role of Siloxides in Transition Metal Chemistry and Homogeneous Catalysis". Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2011 (11): 1689. doi:10.1002/ejic.201100044. https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejic.201100044 ↩
Krempner, Clemens (2011). "Role of Siloxides in Transition Metal Chemistry and Homogeneous Catalysis". Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2011 (11): 1689. doi:10.1002/ejic.201100044. https://chemistry-europe.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ejic.201100044 ↩