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In the presence of an Al(Fe)Cl3 catalyst (AlFeCL; the Al(Fe)Cl3 notation is being used because the exact nature of the catalyst is unknown), a series of permethylcyclosilanes (Me2Si)", = 5-12, rearranged to form isomeric branched cyclopentasilanes or cyclohexasilanes. For each permethylcyclosilane only one rearranged product was obtained. With the same catalyst, ethylundecamethylcyclohexasilane exhibited both skeletal rearrangement and alkyl group redistribution reactions. Perethylcyclosilanes, cyclopentamethylenecyclosilanes, cyclotetramethylenecyclosilanes, and ethylmethylcyclosilanes either decomposed or did not react with the Al(Fe)Cl3 catalyst, depending upon the choice of solvent used in the reaction.A mechanism involving a cyclosilane-Al(Fe) Cl3 complex is proposed to explain the observed rearrangement and redistribution reactions. The branching pattern and ring size of the rearranged permethylcyclosilanes are explained by -conjugation effects and steric interactions.(1) (a)

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