Synthesis, reactivity and crystal structure of trimesitylgermylamine, Mes3GeNH2

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(92)83032-D

Trimesitylgermylamine, Mes3GeNH2, prepared in high yield by the coupling of Mes3GeCl (Mes = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2) with NaNH2 or LiNH2, has been fully characterized by 1H and 13C NMR, IR and mass spectrometry.It is a rare example of a stable primary germylamine, melting at 166 deg C, which is only slowly cleaved by H2O, CH3OH, HCl or phenol, indicating tht the central Ge atom is protected from attack by the mesityl groups.Unlike other germylamines, Mes3GeNH2 reacts with ^tBuCOCl to give the N-substituted amide, Mes3GeNHCO^tBu, rather than Mes3GeCl.Preliminary X-ray crystallographic analyses reveal that the Ge atom has approximate tetrahedral coordination with an average Ge-C bond length of 1.978(3) Angstroem and a Ge-N bond length of 1.854(3) Angstroem, and crowding around the Ge atom so that it is shielded from attack by approaching reactants.