[blackcat]

I am wondering if anyone has used phenylsilane (PhSiH3).

Is it super reactive? Is it nice to handle, without special caution like glove box?

[chenbeier]

Dangerous Compound.
Check MSDS
https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.gelest.com/wp-content/uploads/product_msds/SIP6750.0-msds.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiV7qW3tfzmAhUH06YKHddsDl8QFjABegQICRAB&usg=AOvVaw3Y9wO9f2nVKonWo1c6pTvw

[Enthalpy]

Most silanes are an extreme explosion hazard, because Si-H is too fragile. A semiconductor plant was blown up by silane. Only 200M$ at that time.

That is, most of these sly things have an autoignition temperature in air just above ambient temperature, so a leak doesn't always catch fire immediately, but the mixture detonates when it reaches a light bulb, or your lungs, or some unknown catalyst, or because it's Wednesday.

[blackcat]

Most silanes are an extreme explosion hazard, because Si-H is too fragile. A semiconductor plant was blown up by silane. Only 200M$ at that time.

That is, most of these sly things have an autoignition temperature in air just above ambient temperature, so a leak doesn't always catch fire immediately, but the mixture detonates when it reaches a light bulb, or your lungs, or some unknown catalyst, or because it's Wednesday.

Could you share which silane resulted in explosion? When and where is it?

[Enthalpy]

I just have it in mind from when I was young, during the paleomonolithic era, when channels got 4µm long thanks to polysilicon gates. It was in the US if memory serves.

Plain SiH₄ exploded. I expect phenylsilane to have a similar autoignition temperature because its Si-H bonds are as weak, or even weaker due to the phenyl.

Just google
silane explosion
there are many instances, recently with N₂O under nasty conditions.

The destructive power isn't worse than other compounds, but the chances of ignition are very high, just with a delay so some amount has accumulated. With natural gas, you have good chances to ventilate the room on time. With silane, about every leak explodes.