Fujdala et al.
1391
became light yellow and some solid precipitated from solu-
tion. At the end of the thermolysis, the solution was cloudy
grey in colour with a white solid precipitate. Following the
thermolysis, the reaction mixture was quenched with
aqueous ammonium chloride. The aqueous and organic
phases were then separated. The aqueous phase was ex-
tracted with three portions of hexanes and the extracts were
combined with the organic phase. The organic phase was
dried over anhydrous magnesium sulfate and then filtered to
remove the solid. Removal of the solvent in vacuo yielded a
Photolysis of hexamesitylcyclotrigermane in the
presence of methyllithium
Methyllithium (1.0 mL of a 1.4 M solution in diethyl
ether, 1.4 mmol) was added to a Schlenk tube containing a
clear, pale yellow solution of Ge3Mes6 (53 mg, 0.057 mmol)
dissolved in toluene (4 mL). The Schlenk tube was then
sealed and placed in an immersion well, cooled to –60°C,
and then irradiated for 13 h. After photolysis, the clear, deep
yellow solution was warmed to room temperature and was
quenched with aqueous ammonium chloride. The aqueous
and organic phases were then separated. The aqueous phase
was extracted with four portions of hexanes and the extracts
were combined with the organic phase. The organic phase
was washed three times with water and then dried over an-
hydrous magnesium sulfate. After filtration to remove the
solid, removal of the solvent in vacuo yielded a pale yellow
solid. The product mixture was separated by preparative
TLC using hexanes–dichloromethane (99:1) as the eluent to
give 1,1,2,2-tetramesitylmethyldigermane (2) (12, 16 mg,
44%) and dimesitylmethylgermane (6) (11, 7 mg, 38%),
1
clear, colourless oil. H NMR spectroscopic analysis of the
reaction mixture showed two major products (8 and 9) in a
1:1 or 2:1 ratio. The product mixture was separated by
TLC using 10% CH2Cl2 in hexanes as the eluent to give 2,2-
diethyl-1,1,1-trimesityldigermane (9, 1.1 mg, 3.8%) and
1,2,2-triethyl-1,1-dimesityldigermane (8, 4.8 mg, 18.5%).2
1,2,2-Triethyl-1,1-dimesityldigermane (8):
1
Oily solid. IR (thin film) (cm–1): 1996 (Ge-H). H NMR
(ppm) ꢂ: 6.72 (s, 4H, Mes-H), 4.28 (m, 1H, Ge-H), 2.35 (s,
12H, Mes o-CH3), 2.11 (s, 6H, Mes p-CH3), 1.65 (q, J =
7.8 Hz, 2H, Et-CH2), 0.95–1.15 (m, 13H, 2 Et + Et-CH3).
13C NMR (ppm) ꢂ: 142.80, 137.64, 137.57, 129.26 (CH),
24.89 (CH3), 20.94 (CH3), 14.86 (CH2), 11.98 (CH3), 11.03
(CH3), 5.76 (CH2). MS m/z: 472 ([M]+, 2), 443 ([M – Et]+,
4), 415 ([M – 2Et + H]+, 2), 385 ([M – 3Et]+, 1), 341
([GeMes2Et], 100), 313 ([GeMes2 + H], 20), 221 ([GeEtMes –
H], 6), 193 ([GeMes], 36), 119 ([Mes], 14). HR-MS calcd.
for C24H4372Ge74Ge: 472.1406; found: 472.1390.
1
which were identified by comparison of their H NMR spec-
tra with authentic samples.
Attempted reaction of hexamesitylcyclotrigermane with
methyllithium in the dark
Methyllithium (1.0 mL of a 1.4 M solution in diethyl
ether, 1.4 mmol) was added to a Schlenk tube containing a
clear, pale yellow solution of Ge3Mes6 (50 mg, 0.054 mmol)
dissolved in toluene (4 mL). The Schlenk tube was covered
in aluminum foil and left undisturbed for 14 h at room tem-
perature (rt). No change in the colour of the solution was ob-
served. Saturated aqueous ammonium chloride was then
added to the solution. The aqueous and organic phases were
then separated. The aqueous phase was extracted with four
portions of hexanes and the extracts were combined with the
organic phase. The organic phase was washed three times
with water and then dried over anhydrous magnesium sul-
fate. After filtration to remove the solid, removal of the sol-
vent in vacuo yielded a pale yellow solid. The solid was
identified as hexamesitylcyclotrigermane (41.6 mg, 83%) by
1H NMR spectroscopy.
2,2-Diethyl-1,1,1-trimesityldigermane (9):
mp 176–180°C. IR (thin film) (cm–1): 1982 (Ge-H).
1H NMR (ppm) ꢂ: 6.75 (s, 6H, Mes-H), 4.18 (tt, J = 1.0 Hz,
J = 5.0 Hz, 1H, Ge-H), 2.27 (s, 18H, Mes o-CH3), 2.11 (s, 9H,
Mes p-CH3), 1.21 (pseudo t, 6H, Et-CH3), 0.8–1.1 (m, 4H,
Et-CH2). 13C NMR (ppm) ꢂ: 143.82, 138.86, 137.85, 129.57,
24.92, 20.95, 13.42, 8.14 (CH2). MS m/z: 561 ([M – H]+,
17), 533 ([M – Et]+, 4), 443 ([M – Mes]+, 47), 431
([GeMes3], 100), 311 ([GeMes2 – H], 7), 191 ([GeMes], 12),
119 ([Mes], 10). HR-MS calcd. for C31H4372Ge74Ge ([M – H]):
561.1797; found: 561.1807.
The experiment was repeated (49 mg Ge3Mes6, 1 mL of
EtMgBr in Et2O, toluene (1.5 mmol, 3 mL), 105°C), except
the reaction mixture was heated for 2 h only. Under these
conditions the following products were obtained: Mes3Ge-
GeHEt2 (9), Mes2GeEtH (2), Mes2EtGe-GeEt2H (8), and a
fourth product tentatively identified as Mes2EtGe-GeHEtMes
(3) in a 3.3:2.9:1:1.2 ratio. The products were separated by
TLC using 6% CH2Cl2 in hexanes as the eluent. Compound
3 was obtained as a mixture with Mes3Ge-GeHEt2.
Thermolysis of hexamesitylcyclotrigermane in the
presence of methyllithium
Methyllithium (1.0 mL of a 1.4 M solution in diethyl
ether, 1.4 mmol) was added to a Schlenk tube containing a
clear, pale yellow solution of Ge3Mes6 (50 mg, 0.054 mmol)
dissolved in toluene (4 mL). The Schlenk tube was then
placed in an oil bath at 100°C for 14 h. The orange-brown
solution was allowed to cool to rt. The colour of the solution
changed to pale yellow upon quenching with saturated am-
monium chloride; a gas was evolved. The aqueous and or-
ganic phases were then separated. The aqueous phase was
extracted with four portions of hexanes and the extracts were
combined with the organic phase. The organic phase was
washed three times with water and then dried over anhy-
drous magnesium sulfate. After filtration to remove the solid,
removal of the solvent in vacuo yielded a yellow oil. Analysis
1,2-Diethyl-1,1,2-trimesityldigermane (3):
1H NMR (ppm) ꢂ: 6.74 (s), 6.70 (s, 2H, Mes-H), 5.21 (dd,
J = 3 Hz, J = 6 Hz, 1H, Ge-H), 2.31 (s, 6H, Mes CH3), 2.20
(s, 6H, Mes CH3), 2.18 (s, 6H, Mes CH3), 2.12 (s, 6H, Mes
CH3), 2.11 (s, 3H, Mes CH3), 1–1.8 (m, Et). 13C NMR
(ppm) ꢂ: 144.20, 142.99, 138.50, 137.65, 137.60, 133.33,
129.25 (CH), 129.17 (CH), 128.81 (CH), 25.05 (CH3), 24.91
(CH3), 24.88 (CH3), 20.94 (CH3), 14.69 (CH2), 12.62 (CH3),
11.00 (CH3), 9.87 (CH2). MS m/z: 562 ([M]+).
2 Due to the small quantities of samples, it was impossible to obtain enough material for elemental analysis.
© 2002 NRC Canada