The addition of nitriles to a molecular digermene: reversible addition and comparison to surface reactivity.

The addition of acetonitrile, propionitrile, and acrylonitrile to tetramesityldigermene was investigated and compared to the addition of acetonitrile and acrylonitrile to germanium dimers on the Ge(100)-2×1 surface. In each case, a 1,2,3-azadigermetine was formed as the major product. As on the surface, the addition of nitriles to digermenes was found to be reversible, providing the first example of a reversible cycloaddition of a ditetrelene. No evidence for a six-membered cyclic ketenimine was observed as noted in the surface chemistry, suggesting that the surface ketenimine might only form between two adjacent dimers rather than on a single dimer. The comparative chemistry provides important insights that are not possible by the independent study of each system.

The addition of nitriles to tetramesityldisilene: a comparison of the reactivity between surface and molecular disilenes.

The addition of acetonitrile, propionitrile, and phenylacetonitrile to tetramesityldisilene (Mes2 Si=SiMes2 ) was examined. In general, 1,2,3-azadisiletines and the tautomeric enamines were formed, although a ketenimine was formed as the major product in the addition of phenylacetonitrile to the disilene. In the presence of LiCl, the mode of addition changed for both acetonitrile and propionitrile: insertion into the α-CH bond of acetonitrile and/or formation of the formal HCN adduct was observed. Preliminary investigations of the reactivity of the nitrile adducts are also reported. A comparison between the reactivity of nitriles with Mes2 Si=SiMes2 and the Si(100)-2×1 surface was made both in terms of the types of adducts formed and their reactivity. Some insights into the surface chemistry are offered.

The addition of amides to group 14 (di)-metallenes.

The addition of a series of primary and secondary amides to the group 14 (di)metallenes Mes(2)Si=SiMes(2), Mes(2)Ge=GeMes(2) and (Me(3)Si)(2)Si=C(OSiMe(3))R, where R = t-Bu or R = 1-Ad, was examined. In general, the addition of primary and N-methyl amides gave amide adducts whereas the addition of N-phenyl amides gave imidate adducts. The regiochemistry of the additions was highly dependent upon the substituent bonded to the amide nitrogen. We propose that the formation of the adducts proceeds by way of a zwitterionic intermediate. The reactivity of tetramesityldigermene towards amides is used to predict the structure of the amide adducts formed on the Ge(100)-2 × 1 surface.