Efficient and rapid C-Si bond cleavage in supercritical water.

Arylsilanes, alkenylsilanes, allylic silanes, and alkylsilanes were found to undergo extremely facile and rapid C-Si bond cleavage in supercritical water. The rapid C-Si bond cleavage occurred even with robust unactivated tetraalkylsilanes. The control experiments revealed the dramatic difference between supercritical and subcritical conditions and that between supercritical water and supercritical methanol, attesting to a unique reactivity of supercritical water in C-Si bond cleavage.