Synthesis of Double-Decker Silsesquioxanes from Substituted Difluorosilane

A novel synthetic method for the construction of a double-decker silsesquioxane from fluorosilanes was developed. Phenyl-substituted double-decker silsesquioxane was prepared under mild conditions by coupling difluorodiphenylsilane and a tetrasiloxanolate precursor. A similar reaction was performed using difluorovinylsilane, and a divinyl double-decker silsesquioxane was obtained. The one-step reaction of a functional difluorosilane containing an aminopropyl group afforded a novel double-decker silsesquioxane with two amino groups complexed with BF₃, which can react with carboxylic acid anhydrides to afford an amide product. This synthetic method using difluorosilane is tolerant of a wide range of functional groups and is applicable to the synthesis of polycyclic silsesquioxanes bearing amino groups, which are difficult to directly obtain from dichlorosilane.