Preparation of hydrocarbon chlorosilanes from polysilanes

A process of reacting

• RC1 (1)
• with a polysilane consisting of units of the formula:
• Me.sub.x C1.sub.y Si (2)
• to produce RMe.sub.x SiC1.sub.3-x, which comprises carrying out the reaction in contact with a combined catalytic amount of co-catalyst (a) and co-catalyst (b), wherein co-catalyst (a) is selected from the group consisting of R'.sub.3 N, R'.sub.3 NHC1, R'.sub.4 NC1 and R'.sub.4 PC1, and co-catalyst (b) is selected from the group consisting of metal salts and metal complexes, at a temperature of from about 10.degree. C to about 60.degree. C, wherein
• R is an alkyl radical of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, an alkenyl radical of from 2 to 18 carbon atoms, or an aralkyl radical of from 7 to 18 carbon atoms,
• x is 0 to 2,
• y is 0 to 3,
• the sum of x and y being from 2 to 3 with the proviso that at least one silicon atom of the polysilane be bonded to at least one chlorine group;
• all the silicon atoms in (2) being bonded to at least one other silicon atom and all the valences of the silicon atoms in (2) being satisfied by other silicon atoms, C1 or Me radicals, and R' is one or more of an alkyl or aralkyl radical of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms.