Synthesis of tetrakis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)digermene and its reductive cleavage to the corresponding digermenyllithium-(DME) complex

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(89)87203-1

Tetrakis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)digermene is synthesized directly from bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)dichlorogermane by reductive coupling with lithium naphthalenide in dimethoxyethane (DME).Its structural integrity (double bond) is retained in solution and addition of methanol leads to 1-methoxy-1,1,2,2-tetrakis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)digermane.Treatment of the digrermene with further equivalents of lithium naphthalenide in DME provided a novel digermenyllithium species.