Synthesis and Characterization of an Eclipsed Digermylene as a Building Block to Construct a Cyclic Octagermylene.

The preparation of an unprecedented GeI -GeI bonded digermylene [K2 {Ge2 (µ-κ2 :η2 :η4 -2,6-(2,6-i Pr2 C6 H3 -N)2 -4-CH3 C5 H2 N)2 }] in an eclipsed conformation stabilized by two bridging diamidopyridyl ligands is presented. Although it exhibits an eclipsed conformation, the Ge-Ge bond length is 2.5168(6) Å, which is shorter than those in the trans-bent and gauche digermylenes. In combination with two pendant amido groups, the GeI2 motif is employed as a building block to assemble the first example of octagermylene [Ge4 (µ-κ2 :κ1 -2,6-(2,6-i Pr2 C6 H3 -N)2 -4-CH3 C5 H2 N)2 ]2 showing a cyclic configuration and containing three distinct types of GeI -GeI bonds.