The Gas-Phase Equilibrium Structures of Si₈O₁₂(OSiMe₃)₈ and Si₈O₁₂(CHCH₂)₈

The equilibrium molecular structure of Si₈O₁₂(OSiMe₃)₈ has been determined in the gas phase by electron diffraction (GED). With OSi-containing substituents on the cage silicon atoms, this molecule contains a moiety, which would, if reproduced in a periodic manner, yield a zeolite-type structure. Extensive ab initio calculations were used to identify two conformers of this molecule, with D₄ and D₂ point-group symmetries; the D₄-symmetric conformer was approximately 1.2 kJ mol^-1 lower in energy. With 132 atoms in each conformer, this is one of the largest studies to be undertaken using gas electron diffraction. Semiempirical molecular-dynamics (SE-MD) calculations were used to give amplitudes. of vibration, vibrational distance corrections (differences between interatomic distances in the equilibrium structure and the vibrationally averaged distances that are given directly by the diffraction data), and anhamionic constants. The structure of Si₈O₁₂(CHCH₂)₈ has also been determined by GED. Calculations showed that the vinyl groups are fairly unhindered and rotate between three minimum-energy positions. Ultimately, all possible combinations of the vinyl groups in these low-energy positions were accounted for in the GED model.