Tetraethylsilane

Tetraethylsilane
Structural formula of tettraethylsilane
Ball and stick model of tetraethylsilane
Names
IUPAC name
Tetraethylsilane
Other names
  • Tetraethylsilicon
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
Abbreviations Et4Si
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.010.142 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 211-155-0
  • InChI=1S/C8H20Si/c1-5-9(6-2,7-3)8-4/h5-8H2,1-4H3
    Key: VCZQFJFZMMALHB-UHFFFAOYSA-N
  • CC[Si](CC)(CC)CC
Properties
Si(CH2CH3)4
Molar mass 144.333 g·mol−1
Appearance Colorless liquid
Odor Distinct, mild
Density 0.761 g/cm3
Melting point −82.5 °C (−116.5 °F; 190.7 K)
Boiling point 153–154 °C (307–309 °F; 426–427 K)
Almost insoluble in water
Vapor pressure 5 mmHg at 20 °C (68 °F)
1.426
Structure
Tetrahedral at Si
Hazards
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards
 Flammable
GHS labelling:
GHS02: FlammableGHS07: Exclamation mark
Warning
H226, H315, H319, H335
P210, P233, P240, P241, P242, P243, P261, P264, P264+P265, P271, P280, P302+P352, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P319, P321, P332+P317, P337+P317, P362+P364, P370+P378, P403+P233, P403+P235, P405, P501
Flash point 25 °C
235 °C (455 °F; 508 K)
Related compounds
Related compounds
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Tetraethylsilane is an organosilicon compound with the chemical formula Si(CH2CH3)4. It is a colorless liquid. Under standard conditions, it does not react with water, air, nitric acid or concentrated potassium hydroxide. Its vapor density is 4.98, relative to air (air = 1).

Synthesis

The synthesis of tetraethylsilane by reacting silicon tetrachloride with diethylmercury or diethylzinc in an ampoule at 140–160 °C (284–320 °F) was first reported in 1863 by Charles Friedel and James Mason Crafts.

SiCl4 + 2 Zn(CH2CH3)2 → Si(CH2CH3)4 + 2 ZnCl2

Uses

Tetraethylsilane reacts with halides of the boron group elements, such as boron tribromide or gallium trichloride with high yield and purity to form the corresponding dihaloethyl compound.

Si(CH2CH3)4 + BBr3 → (CH3CH2)3SiBr + CH3CH2BBr2
Si(CH2CH3)4 + GaCl3 → (CH3CH2)3SiCl + CH3CH2GaCl2

References

  1. 1 2 PubChem. "Tetraethylsilane". pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Tetraethylsilane". sigmaaldrich.com. Retrieved February 11, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. 1 2 3 "TETRAETHYLSILANE" (PDF). gelest.com. October 23, 2014. Retrieved February 11, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. 1 2 3 Friedel, C.; Crafts, J. M. (January 1863). "Ueber einige neue organische Verbindungen des Siliciums und das Atomgewicht dieses Elementes". Justus Liebigs Annalen der Chemie. 127 (1): 28–32. doi:10.1002/jlac.18631270103. ISSN 0075-4617.
  5. ↑ Soukup, Rudolf Werner (2020). Chemiegeschichtliche Daten organischer Substanzen [Chemical history data of organic substances] (in German).
  6. ↑ Schmidbaur, H.; Findeiss, W. (October 1964). "A Simple Route to Organogallium Compounds". Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English. 3 (10): 696–696. doi:10.1002/anie.196406961. ISSN 0570-0833. Archived from the original on 2021-07-22.