Co-ordination chemistry of bivalent Group 4B heavy metal donors M[N(SiMe3)2]2(M = Ge or Pb) or Ge[CH(SiMe3)2]2; and the crystal and molecular structure of [Cr(CO)5(Ge{CH(SiMe3)2}2)]

Abstract

The hydrocarbon-soluble Group 4 metal ligands MX₂[M = Ge, X =(Me₃Si)₂CH; or M = Ge or Pb, X =(Me₃Si)₂N] form stable transition metal complexes (1)–(7) by nucleophilic attack at a transition metal centre causing (i) neutral ligand displacement, (ii)µ-dichlorodipalladium(II) bridge-splitting, or (iii) M′^II–Cl (M′= Fe or Pt) insertion; the germanio(II)- or plumbio(II)-complexes (2)–(4), (6), and (7) have Ge or Pb in a 3-coordinate planar environment as confirmed for one complex (2) by single crystal X-ray diffraction.