New Ideas on the Mechanism of Direct Syntheses of Alkyl(aryl)chlorosilanes

Studies on the direct syntheses of alkyl(aryl)chlorosilanes, which have served as a basis for the development of new ideas on the reaction mechanism formulated mainly in the last 2–3 years, are reviewed. The direct syntheses are used in the industrial manufacture of the most important organosilicon monomers. The new ideas on the mechanism proved to be extremely useful in determining the rules for the control of technological processes. The ideas concerning the specific role of chlorine transfer processes and the chain mechanism of the formation of alkyl(aryl)chlorosilanes which are discussed here were not dealt with in the previous reviews. The bibliography includes 204 references.