Silyl hydride

Silicon hydrides are organosilicon compounds that contain a silicon–hydrogen bond. Examples include phenylsilane (PhSiH3) and triethoxysilane ((EtO)3SiH). Silicon hydrides are organosilicon compounds that contain a silicon–hydrogen bond. Examples include phenylsilane (PhSiH3) and triethoxysilane ((EtO)3SiH). The silicon-to-hydrogen bond is longer than the C–H bond (148 compared to 105 pm) and weaker (299 compared to 338 kJ/mol). Hydrogen is more electronegative than silicon (hence the naming convention of silyl hydrides), which results in the polarization of the Si-H bond to be the reverse of that for the C-H bond. Generally silyl hydrides are colourless with physical properties (solubility, volatility) comparable to hydrocarbons. They can be pyrophoric, reflecting the great driving force for replacing Si-H bonds with Si-O bonds.