Functionalized Sila-Adamantane

Patent Status

Patent Pending

Full Description

Background:

The carbon based adamantane has enabled a myriad of valuable applications in medicine, imaging probes, catalysts, etc. because chemists have been able to install site selective functional groups. The silicon version of adamantane, sila-adamantane shares similar fundamental properties that make it useful. Despite its promise, the development of silicon diamondoids has remained in its infancy because of the difficulty in its synthesis.

Technology:

Prof. Timothy Su and his research team have developed a novel, patent pending method for the gram-scale synthesis and its regioselective functionalization at five discrete silicon centers within its core. These syntheses are guided by mechanistic insights that implicate an aluminate-stabilized silylium ion at the 2-position as the final intermediate in the isomerization synthesis.

Synthetic strategies for functionalizing sila-adamantane at five discrete locations within the cluster core, paving the way for functional silicon diamondoid materials.

Advantages

The significant aspects of this invention are:

• Significantly more efficient as evidenced by the ability to access sila-adamantane on gram scales and in higher purity compared to prior art.
• No chlorinated by-products.
• Provides for derivatizing the sila-adamantane cluster in site selective fashion with either the same or unique functional groups.
• Atomically precise structure of sila-adamantane is an advantage over existing silicon nanocrystals that are heterogeneous in core size and surface chemistry.

Suggested uses

Applications that could be enabled by this invention include:

• Use as a ligand for improved chemical catalysis
• Nanoscale silicon electronics
• Battery anode materials
• Pharmacology and medicine
• UV/blue-emitting materials
• Atomically precise versions of silicon donor qubits

State Of Development

Experimental, lab-level demonstration of the process. 20 derivatives of sila-adamantane have been successfully synthesized and are ready for testing.

Related Materials

• Site-Selective Functionalization of Sila-Adamantane and Its Ensuing Optical Effects