Syntheses and crystal structures of 2-methyl-1,1,2,3,3-penta­phenyl-2-sila­propane and 2-methyl-1,1,3,3-tetra­phenyl-2-silapropan-2-ol

The sterically hindered silicon compound 2-methyl-1,1,2,3,3-penta­phenyl-2-sila­propane, C(33)H(30)Si (I), was prepared via the reaction of two equivalents of di­phenyl­methyl­lithium (benzhydryllithium) and di­chloro­methyl­phenyl­silane. This bis­benzhydryl-substituted silicon compound was then reacted with tri­fluoro­methane­sulfonic acid, followed by hydrolysis with water to give the silanol 2-methyl-1,1,3,3-tetra­phenyl-2-silapropan-2-ol, C(27)H(26)OSi (II). Key geometric features for I are the Si—C bond lengths that range from 1.867 (2) to 1.914 (2) Å and a τ(4) descriptor for fourfold coordination around the Si atom of 0.97 (indicating a nearly perfect tetra­hedron). Key geometric features for compound II include Si—C bond lengths that range from 1.835 (4) to 1.905 (3) Å, a Si—O bond length of 1.665 (3) Å, and a τ(4) descriptor for fourfold coordination around the Si atom of 0.96. In compound II, there is an intra­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond present. In the crystal of I, mol­ecules are linked by two pairs of C—H⋯π inter­actions, forming dimers that are linked into ribbons propagating along the b-axis direction. In the crystal of II, mol­ecules are linked by C—H⋯π and O—H⋯π inter­actions that result in the formation of ribbons that run along the a-axis direction.