Method for preparing a trihalosilane

Abstract

A method of preparing a trihalosilane comprising the separate and consecutive steps of (i) contacting a copper catalyst with hydrogen gas and a silicon tetrahalide at a temperature of from 500 to 1400° C. to form a silicon-containing copper catalyst comprising at least 0.1% (w/w) of silicon, wherein the copper catalyst comprises a metal selected from copper and a mixture comprising copper and at least one element selected from gold, magnesium, and platinum; and (ii) contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst with a hydrogen halide at a temperature of from 100 to 600° C. to form a trihalosilane.

1 . A method of preparing a trihalosilane, the method comprising the following separate and consecutive steps:
 (i) contacting a copper catalyst with hydrogen gas and a silicon tetrahalide at a temperature of from 500 to 1400° C. to form a silicon-containing copper catalyst comprising at least 0.1% (w/w) of silicon, wherein the copper catalyst comprises a metal selected from copper and a mixture comprising copper and at least one element selected from gold, magnesium, and platinum; and   (ii) contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst with a hydrogen halide at from 100 to 600° C. to form a trihalosilane.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising (iii) contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst contacted with the hydrogen halide in step (ii) with the hydrogen gas and the silicon tetrahalide at a temperature of from 500 to 1400° C. to reform the silicon-containing copper catalyst comprising at least 0.1% (w/w) silicon; and (iv) contacting the reformed silicon-containing copper catalyst with the hydrogen halide at a temperature of from 100 to 600° C. to form a trihalosilane. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising repeating steps (iii) and (iv) at least 1 time. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising purging prior to the contacting of the reformed silicon-containing copper catalyst with the hydrogen halide in step (iv). 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 4 , wherein the purging is conducted with argon or silicon tetrachloride. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising purging prior to contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst with the hydrogen halide in step (ii). 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the purging is conducted with argon or silicon tetrachloride. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the copper catalyst further comprises a support. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein the support is activated carbon. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the copper catalyst comprises from 0.1 to 35% (w/w) of the mixture and the mixture comprises copper, gold and magnesium. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the silicon-containing copper catalyst comprises from 1 to 5% (w/w) of silicon. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the mole ratio of hydrogen to silicon tetrahalide in step (i) is from 20:1 to 5:1. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein step (ii) is conducted in the presence of hydrogen. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the trihalosilane has the formula HSiX 3 , where X is fluoro, chloro, bromo, or iodo. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen halide is has formula HX, where X is chloro, and the silicon tetrahalide is silicon tetrachloride. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising recovering the trihalosilane. 
     
     
         17 . A method of preparing a trihalosilane, the method comprising the following separate and consecutive steps:
 (i) contacting a copper catalyst with hydrogen gas and a silicon tetrahalide at a temperature of from 500 to 1400° C. to form a silicon-containing copper catalyst comprising 1 to 20% (w/w) of silicon, wherein the copper catalyst comprises a metal selected from copper and a mixture comprising copper and at least one element selected from gold, magnesium, and platinum; and   (ii) contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst with a hydrogen halide at from 100 to 600° C. to form a trihalosilane.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , further comprising (iii) contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst contacted with the hydrogen halide in step (ii) with the hydrogen gas and the silicon tetrahalide at a temperature of from 500 to 1400° C. to reform the silicon-containing copper catalyst comprising at least 0.1% (w/w) silicon; and (iv) contacting the reformed silicon-containing copper catalyst with the hydrogen halide at a temperature of from 100 to 600° C. to form a trihalosilane, and optionally further comprising repeating steps (iii) and (iv) at least 1 time, and optionally further comprising recovering the trihalosilane. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the hydrogen halide is has formula HX, where X is chloro, and the silicon tetrahalide is silicon tetrachloride. 
     
     
         20 . A method of preparing a trihalosilane, the method comprising the following separate and consecutive steps:
 (i) contacting a copper catalyst with hydrogen gas and a silicon tetrahalide at a temperature of from 500 to 1400° C. to form a silicon-containing copper catalyst comprising at least 0.1% (w/w) of silicon, wherein the copper catalyst comprises a support and a metal selected from copper and a mixture comprising copper and at least one element selected from gold, magnesium, and platinum; and   (ii) contacting the silicon-containing copper catalyst with a hydrogen halide at from 100 to 600° C. to form a trihalosilane.