Header menu link for other important links
X
A stable heavier group 14 analogue of vinylidene
, Campos J., Niu H., Aldridge S.
Published in Nature Chemistry
2016
Volume: 8
   
Issue: 11
Pages: 1022 - 1026
Abstract
Vinylidene (H2C=C) is a member of the family of compounds of composition CH (and isomeric with ethyne, HC≡CH), but it has been observed only transiently - with a lifetime in the region of 0.1 ns. Indeed, no simple (non-base-stabilized) compounds of the type R2E=E have been characterized structurally for any of the group 14 elements. Here we show that by employing the bulky and strongly electron-donating boryl ligand (HCDippN)2B (Dipp, 2,6-iPr2C6H3), a simple monomeric digermavinylidene compound, (boryl)2 GeGe, can be synthesized and is stable at room temperature. Both its formation via the two-electron chemical oxidation of the symmetrical Ge0 compound K2[(boryl)GeGe(boryl)] and its subsequent reaction chemistry (for example, with H2), are consistent with a high substituent lability and the accessibility of both 1,1- and 1,2-substitution patterns. Structural and computational studies of [(HCDippN)2B]2GeGe reveal a weak Ge-Ge double bond - the π component of which contributes to the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) - with a Ge-centred lone pair as the HOMO-1. © 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited, part of Springer Nature. All rights reserved.
About the journal
JournalNature Chemistry
PublisherNature Chemistry
Open AccessNo