Synthesis and Reactivity of N-Heterocyclic Carbene Coordinated Formal Germanimidoyl-Phosphinidenes.

Treatment of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligated germylidenylphosphinidene M s Fluid t Bu -GeP(NHC i Pr ) (where M s Fluid t Bu is a bulky hydrindacene substituent, and NHC i Pr is 1,3-diisopropyl-4,5-dimethyl-imidazolin-2-ylidene) with mesityl azide and 4-tertbutylphenyl azide afforded NHC coordinated formal germanimidoyl-phosphinidenes, which represent the first compounds bearing both Ge═N double bond and phosphinidene functionalities. Studies of the chemical properties revealed that the reactions preferred to occur at the Ge═N double bond, which underwent [2 + 2] cycloadditions with CO 2 and ethyl isocyanate, and coordinated with coinage metals through the nitrogen atom.