Reaction of pentaerythritol with trialkylsilanes in presence of certain metal halides

1. A study was made of the reaction of trialkylsilanes with pentaerythritol in presence of certain metal halides. The reaction rate depends on the structure of the trialkylsilane and the amount of catalyst. 2. The infrared absorption spectra of the silyl derivatives of pentaerythritol obtained in the region 3600-3100 cm−1 indicate the presence of both inter- and intra-molecular hydrogen bonds, which explains the low reactivities of the unsubstituted hydroxy groups.