Reaction of ethyl bromide with silicon

1. The reaction of ethyl bromide with silicon in presence of reduced copper was studied in the temperature range 260–380°. 2. The main reaction product was tribromoethylsilane, the yield of which increased considerably with rise in reaction temperature. As a result of the partial pyrolysis of ethyl bromide at the temperature of the formation of bromoethylsilanes, the formation of dibromodiethylsilane, and particularly of bromotriethylsilane, occurred to a much lower extent. The reaction products included also silicon compounds containing silicon-attached hydrogen, namely tribromo- and dibromoethyl-silanes.