(4+4)-Coordinate germanium atoms in tetrakis(dialkylaminoxy)germanes

Abstract

The compounds Ge(ONMe2)4 and Ge(ONEt2)4 were prepared by the reaction of LiONMe2 and LiONEt2 with GeCl4. They were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR and IR spectroscopy, by their decay patterns in the mass spectra, by high-resolution mass spectrometry and by elemental analyses. The crystal structure of Ge(ONMe2)4 was determined and shows the compound to have a (4+4) coordinate germanium atom as is evident from the Ge–O–N angles, which are in the range between 100.8(3) and 109.2(4)°, which is on average 15.2° smaller than the Ge–O–C angles in Ge(ONCHMe2)4. This compound was also prepared and examined by single crystal X-ray crystallography.