LOW-PRESSURE PYROLYSIS OF HEXAMETHYLDISILANE - ELECTRON-SPIN-RESONANCE IDENTIFICATION OF RADICAL INTERMEDIATES

Radicals produced in the pyrolysis of hexamethyldisilane at pressures below 1.5 Torr have been trapped in an adamantane matrix at 77K and ch aracterised by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. At 1 Torr, result s were consistent with mechanisms proposed from gas-phase kinetic stud ies. At lower pressures the results suggest surface decomposition pred ominates, and they reveal a surprising feature of the mechanism that w ould not have been detected by the methods used in the earlier pyrolys is studies.