Organogermanium chalcogen derivatives

Organogermanium compounds in which the Ge is bonded to a Group 16 element (chalcogen) were first encountered in 1925. 

Dennis and Patnode167 assumed the existence of trimethylgermanol, but neither they nor Schmidt and Ruidisch371 succeeded in isolating it. Schmidt and Ruidisch used titrimetric and cryoscopic methods to show that Me3GeCl was hydrolyzed by water to Me3GeOH, 

In 1952, West183 successfully used for the first time the reaction of R3GeX for the synthesis of (l-CioH7)3GeOH. The latter was so stable that it was transformed slowly and partially to the corresponding digermoxane only at 175 °C during 24 hours. 

Five years later Kraus and Brown226 found out that the solid products of hydrolysis of Ph2GeBr2 with concentrated aqueous ammonia have the (PhjGeO), structure. 

In 1948, Rochow252,383 discovered that the hydrolysis product of Me2GeCl2 was easily dissolved in water in contrast to the hydrolysis product of Mc2SiCl2- The solution was evaporated without leaving any residue, indicating the formation of volatile hydrolysis products. This was also observed in the reaction of Me2GeCl2 with aqueous ammonia. This led Rochow to the conclusion that the hydrolysis reaction of Me2GeCl2 was reversible. 

In 1960, Metlesics and Zeiss investigated the thermal decomposition of (Ph2GeO)4 and (Ph2GeO) in vacnum, which resulted in (Ph2GeO)3. In the same year Brown and Rochow similarly obtained (Me2GeO)3 from thermolysis of the prodncts of the hydrolysis of Me2GeCl2. 

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