Isolation and Reactivity of a Chlorogermyliumylidene Featuring Two Ge–Cl Units

Deprotonation of 1-mesityl-4,5-diphenyl-2-imidazole 1 with nBuLi, followed by salt metathesis reaction with GeCl₂·dioxane complex, led to the formation of the chlorogermyliumylidene 2 bearing two Ge–Cl units, which has been isolated and fully characterized by standard spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction analysis. Structural and NMR spectroscopic data as well as computational studies revealed that the positive charge mainly resides on the Ge atom between two nitrogen atoms. Reduction of 2 with an excess amount of lithium metal resulted in Ge–Ge bond formation concomitant with elimination of one of the Ge atoms of 2, to give rise to the digermylenedilithium compound 3 involving intramolecular coordination of the imines and the lone pairs to the Li atoms.