Organomagnesium Synthesis of sec-Butyl- and tert-Alkylchlorogermanes and Their Reaction with Ethynylmagnesium Bromide

Abstract

The limits of application of organomagnesium synthesis to the substitution of chlorine atoms in tetrachlorogermane with bulky alkyl groups are established. The reaction of tetrachlorogermane with 2-butylmagnesium chloride leads to the substitution of one, two, or three chlorine atoms, yielding the corresponding alkylchlorogermanes (MeEtCH)nGeCl4-n . The reaction of GeCl4 with tert-alkylmagnesium halides leads to the substitution of only one chlorine atom, yielding tert-alkyltrichlorogermanes RMe2CGeCl3 (R = Me, Et, Bu). tert-Butyltrichlorogermane reacts with ethylmagnesium bromide to give ethyl(tert-butyl)dichlorogermane. Isopropyltrichlorogermane reacts with tert-butylmagnesium chloride to give isopropyl(tert-butyl)dichlorogermane. This shows that the organomagnesium synthesis does allow linking of two bulky substituents to the germanium atom. The reaction of tert-alkyltrichlorogermanes and 2-butyltrichlorogermane in THF with ethynylmagnesium bromide, in which the hydrocarbon group is the most sterically accessible, allows substitution of all the three chlorine atoms, yielding the corresponding alkyl(triethynyl)germanes. The latter compounds react with the Grignard reagent and trimethylchlorosilane to give the corresponding alkyl(trimethylsilylethynyl)germanes.