Germyl anions reaction with

The electrochemical generation of the germyl anion has been the subject of a recent paper105. Evidence for its formation by SET reduction of Ph3GeH on Pt in DMF with tetrabutylammonium tetrafluoroborate is based on 13C NMR which shows a strong down-field shift of Ca 30 ppm for the ipso carbon of the anion. The anion tends to yield Ph3GeGePh3 above 20 °C, but is also trapped by reactions at —40°C with O2 and CH3I ... 

The Ge-Ge bond can undergo cleavage in reactions with [Bu4N]F to yield metal-free germyl anions, which can be employed in subsequent reactions with alkyl halides (Equation (210), Table 27) and carbonyl species (Equation (211), Table 28).266... 

Reaction with germyllithiutn reagents can yield CO inserted products (92) [Eq. (54)]. Thus methyl rheniumpentacarbonyl reacts with germyl-lithium compounds to give anionic acyl complexes which can be isolated as tetraethylammonium salts or alkylated to give carbene complexes. 

Reactions of methyllithium or methyl Grignard reagents resulted in the formation of optically active silyl anions which were characterized after hydrolysis and reaction with allyl bromide (243). The observed overall predominant retention of configuration provides evidence for the optical stability of silyl anions. Their first preparation was reported by Sommer and Mason (245) and they appeared configurationally less stable than the chiral germyl anions (31). 

The influence of substituents on die cleavage of the C3e-C bond in aminomethyl germanium derivatives by BuLi is explored, and gives the germyl anion and azomethines, while Pd(II) catalyses the reaction of Me3GeCN with terminal alkynes to give P-cyano vinylgermanes in... 

---