Specific insertion reactions of a germylene, stannylene and plumbylene into the unique P–P bond of the hexaphospha-pentaprismane cage, P6C4tBu4: Crystal and molecular structures of P6C4tBu4ER2 (E = Ge, Sn, R = N(SiMe3)2; E = Pb, R = (C6H3(NMe2)2 -2,6)

Abstract

Treatment of the cage compound P₆C₄^tBu₄ with M{N(SiMe₃)₂}₂ (M = Ge or Sn) or Pb(C₆H₃(NMe₂)_2–2,6) at room temperature results in their specific insertion into the P–P bond connecting the two 5-membered P₃C₂^tBu₂ rings. The products were fully characterised by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.