Apparatus for preparing dimeric and trimeric silicon compounds

1. An apparatus, which comprises a reactor for generating a nonthermal plasma; a collecting vessel in product flow communication with the nonthermal plasma reactor; and a series of at least three rectification columns in flow communication with the collecting vessel; wherein the third rectification column of the series is at reduced pressure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor is an ozonizer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the reactor comprises glass tubes.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein glass tubes are quartz glass tubes.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the glass tubes in the reactor are spaced apart by spacers comprised of an inert material.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the inert material of the spacers is glass or Teflon.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , which is for a continuous process for preparing dimeric and/or trimeric silicon compounds of the general formula (Ia) or the germanium compounds of the general formula (Ib)

where R1 to R8 are each hydrogen and/or halogen, where the halogen is selected from chlorine, bromine and/or iodine, where R1 to R8 denote identical or different radicals in the formula (Ia) or (Ib), with the proviso that at least one of the R1 to R8 radicals is a halogen, and n=0 or 1,

a) wherein a silicon compound of the general formula (IIa)

or a germanium compound of the general formula (IIb)

where R9 to R12 are each hydrogen, organyl, where the organyl comprises a linear, branched and/or cyclic alkyl having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, linear, branched and/or cyclic alkenyl having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, unsubstituted or substituted aryl and/or corresponding benzyl, and/or halogen, and the halogen is selected from chlorine, bromine and/or iodine, where R9 to R12 denote identical or different radicals in the formula (IIa) or (IIb) and n=1 or 2,

the silicon compound of the formula (IIa) in the presence of one or more compounds of the general formula (IIIa)

or the germanium compound of the formula (IIb) in the presence of one or more compounds of the general formula (IIIb)

where R13 to R16 are each hydrogen, organyl, where the organyl comprises a linear, branched and/or cyclic alkyl having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, linear, branched and/or cyclic alkenyl having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, unsubstituted or substituted aryl and/or corresponding benzyl, and/or halogen, and the halogen is selected from chlorine, bromine and/or iodine, where R13 to R16 denote identical or different radicals of the formula (IIIa) or (IIIb) and n=1 or 2, especially with the proviso that it is a hydrogen-containing compound,

is exposed to a nonthermal plasma and

b) one or more pure silicon compounds of the general formula (Ia) or germanium compounds of the general formula (Ib) are obtained from the resulting phase.