Synthesis and molecular and crystal structures of new cation-anionic hypervalent germanium complexes with 1,1,3,3-tetrakis(O-Ge)chelato-1,1,3,3-tetra(lactamomethyl)-1,3-digermoxane dications

The reaction of dichloride (L-5)(2)GeCl2 with LiI.H2O under conditions, which did not exclude exposure to atmospheric oxygen, as well as hydrolysis of chloride triflate (L-7)(2)Ge(Cl)OTf in the presence of Et3N and of perchlorate (L-5)(2)Ge(Cl)OClO3 by atmospheric moisture afforded cation-anionic complexes containing the digermoxane dications of the general formula [(L-n)(2)GeOGe(L-n)(2)](2+) (L-n is a lactamomethyl n-membered bidentate C,O-coordinating ligand) with the triiodide, triflate, and perchlorate ions, respectively. According to the results of X-ray diffraction study, the digermoxane dications in these complexes contain two pentacoordinate Ge atoms each and occur as germylium ions stabilized by two O-->Ge coordination bonds. In these complexes, the digermoxane dications are diastereomers in which the bischelate systems have opposite configurations.