Oxidation, germylenes

A bis(chelate) structure was found for the closely related germylene [MeC(NPr )2]2Ge, which was also made from GeCl2(dioxane) and 2 equivalents of the lithium amidinate (colorless crystals, 81%). The same synthetic approach was used to make bis(amidinato) metal dichlorides of silicon and germanium in high yields (83-95%). Rapid oxidative addition of chalcogen atom sources (styrene sulfide and elemental Se) to the germylene derivatives resulted in a series... 

The germylene 107 undergoes an oxidative insertion into an Si-Cl bond of SiCU (Equation (255)), and the reaction pathway of this process has been proposed (Equation (256)).320... 

Intermolecular reactions of 171 proceed via the germylene as shown in the oxidation process (Scheme 67) and in complexation with W(CO)sTHF (Equation (321 )).392... 

Intramolecular Lewis base complexation of the germanium atom also did not appear to be a valuable alternative to overcome the lability of these elusive intermediates, since the germanones expected from oxidation of the base-stabilized germylenes 140131 (with Me3NO) and 141132 (with 02, DMSO, or pyridine oxide) either rearrange as already mentioned [Section VI,A,4, Eq. (33)]131 or dimerize to digermadioxetane 160132 [Eq. (35)]. 

The other important type of reaction leading to the formation of two bonds between a metal and four-atom fragment is addition of carbenoids, i.e. germylenes and stannylenes, to a-dicarbonyl and related compounds. The process can be classified as redox (4 + 1) cycloaddition since the dicarbonyl fragment is reduced while the carbenoid is oxidized. Formally the simplest example of such reactions is the interaction of methylglyoxal with activated tin metal to give a cyclic stannylene, Sn(II) enediolate (see Scheme 34) <83CL1825>. 

Germylene insertion into germacyclobutanes to give 1,2-digermacyclopentanes has already been described (Scheme 88). However, the tetraethyl derivative (95) is better made via the mercury derivative (Scheme 162). Like its silicon counterpart, (95) is slowly oxidized at room temperature, and inserts sulfur, selenium and bromine in the Ge—Ge bond. While (95) is less stable than the 1,2-digermacyclohexane, dichlorocarbene inserts into the /3-C—H bond of both rings, and not the Ge—C bond (Scheme 163) (69JOM(16)227). 

The oxidation-reduction route was also used to prepare copolymers 53 of bis[bis(tri-methylsilyl)amido]germanium and acetylene derivatives130 (Scheme 27). Rhodium compounds such as [Rh(norbornadiene)Cl]2 were used as catalysts. In contrast to other polymers prepared from germylenes, the monomer-to-monomer ratio was not regular. Relatively low molecular weight polymers 53 (Mn = 1 x 103-104) were isolated. 

Reactions of Germylenes with Stabilized Radicals. The stable germylene Ge[C4H4(SiMe3)4] reacts with 2 equivalents 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine N-oxide (TEMPO, -ONR2) to... 

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