Crystal structure of 2,2,3,3-tetra-methyl-1,1,1,4,4,4-hexa-phenyl-tetra-germane.

Abstract

The mol­ecule of the title compound, C40H42Ge4, lies with its central Ge—Ge bond on an inversion centre giving rise to a zigzag backbone of four tetra­hedrally coordinated Ge atoms. The symmetrically independent Ge—Ge bonds are slightly shorter than in other organo­tetra­germanes whereas the Ge—CPh (Ph = phen­yl) and Ge—CMe (Me = meth­yl) distances have their usual values. In the crystal, (010) layers of Ph6Me4Ge4 mol­ecules with a parallel orientation of the Ge4 backbone exist, held together by van der Waals forces only. Main bond lengths in organo-substituted oligogermanes are compared.