Abstract:
Daily life depends on the ubiquitous semiconductor silicon: computers, solar cells, and many more. Yet silicon synthesis relies on top-down, high-temperature approaches that yield only the most thermodynamically stable forms of silicon. Uncovering new structure-function space demands a different synthetic vision. This talk will describe the synthesis of molecular and polymeric silanes inspired by the complexity, selectivity, and elegance of target-oriented organic synthesis. Topics include the chemoselective polymerization of novel bifunctional silane monomers, selective preparation of linear and cyclic polycyclosilanes, and the stereo controlled synthesis of cis- and trans-siladecalin. Approaches to the structural characterization of novel silane architectures will also be discussed.