Silanes

Silanes are saturated hydrosilicons, which means that they consist only of hydrogen and silicon atoms, all bonds are single bonds. By definition, cycles are excluded, so that the silanes comprise a homologous series of inorganic compounds with the general formula Si_nH_{2n + 2}. Commercially available silanes are synthetically derived.

Each silicon atom has four bonds (either Si-H or Si-Si bonds), and each hydrogen atom is joined to a silicon atom (H-Si bonds). A series of linked silicon atoms is known as the silicon skeleton or silicon backbone. The number of silicon atoms is used to define the size of the silane (e.g., Si₂-silane).

Related to silanes, is a homologous series of functional groups, side-chains or radicals with the general formula Si_nH_{2n + 1}. Examples include silyl and disilanyl.

The simplest possible silane (the parent molecule) is silane, SiH₄. There is no limit to the number of silicon atoms that can be linked together, the only limitation being that the molecule is acyclic, is saturated, and is a hydrosilicon.

Silanes are very reactive and have moderate biological activity.

Much of the early work establishing that silicon does indeed form an homologous series of hydride analogous to the alkanes, albeit to a much smaller extent, was conducted by Alfred Stock and Carl Somiesky. Although monosilane and disilane were already known, Stock and Somiesky discovered, beginning in 1916, the next four members of the Si_nH_2n+2 series, up to n = 6, and they also documented the formation of solid phase polymeric silicon hydrides (vide infra). Usually polymeric silanyl hydrides are based on silicone and thus called silicone hydrides (the back bone consists of Si-O-Si bonds).