Only two silyldichloramines, (C6H5)(3)SiNCl2 and (CH3)(3)SiNCl2, have been reported in the literature. The synthesis of the former was successfully repeated, and its structure was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and vibrational spectroscopy. Attempts to prepare (CH3)(3)SiNCl2 were unsuccessful; however, a new trialkylsilyldichloramine, t-BuMe2Si-NCl2, was prepared and characterized by Raman and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The reaction of t-BuMe2SiNCl2 with (CH3)(4)NF in CHF3 solution at -78 degrees C, followed by removal of all volatile products at -30 degrees C, produced the expected t-BuMe2SiF byproduct and a white solid consisting of NCl3 absorbed on Me4NCl. The NCl3 could be reversibly desorbed from the substrate and was identified as a neat liquid at room temperature by Raman spectroscopy. The observed final reaction products are consistent with the formation of an unstable N(CH3)(4)+NCl2- intermediate which decomposes to N(CH3)(4)Cl-+(-) and NCl molecules which can dimerize to N2Cl2. Theoretical calculations confirm that NCl2- can readily lose Cl-and that N2Cl2 also possesses a low barrier toward loss of N-2 to give chlorine atoms and, thus, can account for the formation of NCl3.