First detection of methylgermylene in the gas phase and time-resolved study of some of its reactions

Becerra, R., Harrington, C.R., Leigh, W.J., Kefala, L.A. and Walsh, R. (2006) First detection of methylgermylene in the gas phase and time-resolved study of some of its reactions. Organometallics, 25 (19). pp. 4439-4443. ISSN 0276-7333 doi: 10.1021/om0601798

Abstract/Summary

A new transient species has been produced and detected by the gas-phase, 193 nm laser flash photolysis of 1,3,4-trimethylgermacyclopent-3-ene, TMGCP. The species has strong visible absorptions in the wavelength region 450−520 nm (maximum at 485 nm) and is attributed to the germylene, MeGeH. Time-resolved kinetic studies have led to the first rate constants for its reactions with GeH4, Me2GeH2, C2H2, C2H4, C3H6, i-C4H8, TMGCP, MeOH, HCl, and SO2. The reactivity of MeGeH is compared to those of GeH2 and GeMe2. The Me-for-H substituent effect varies according to reaction type and is not constant from GeH2 to MeGeH to GeMe2.