The effect of the γ-OMe group on the reactivity of the germanium chloride (Me3Si)2C(SiMe2OMe)(GeMe2Cl)
Abstract
The germanium chloride (Me3Si)2C(SiMe2OMe)(GeMe2Cl)(2a) has been found to be much more reactive than the related chloride (Me3Si)3C(GeMe2Cl)(1) towards silver salts. The compound (Me3Si)2C(SiMe2OMe)(GeMe3) is correspondingly much more reactive than (Me3Si)3C(GeMe3) towards CF3CO2H. These findings are consistent with anchimeric assistance by the γ-OMe group to leaving of Cl– or Me–, but a firm conclusion that such an effect operates was prevented by the finding that (2a) is also much more reactive than (1) towards NaOMe–MeOH. The methanolysis of (2a) in NaOMe–MeOH differs mechanistically from that of the analogous silicon chloride (Me3Si)2C-(SiMe2OMe)(SiMe2Cl).