Reactivity of organogermanium and organotin trihydrides.

The organogermanium and organotin trihydrides (TbbEH 3 ) [E = Ge (3), Sn (7)] with the Tbb substituent were synthesized by hydride substitution (Tbb = 2,6-[CH(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 -4-( t -Bu)C 6 H 2 ). Deprotonation of the organoelement trihydrides 3 and 7 was studied in reaction with bases MeLi, BnK and LDA (Bn = benzyl, LDA = lithium diisopropylamide) to yield the deprotonation products (8-11) as lithium or potassium salts. Hydride abstraction from TbbSnH 3 using the trityl salt [Ph 3 C][Al(OC{CF 3 } 3 ) 4 ] gives the salt [TbbSnH 2 ][Al(OC{CF 3 } 3 ) 4 ] (12) which was stabilized by thf donor ligands [TbbSnH 2 (thf) 2 ][Al(OC{CF 3 } 3 ) 4 ] (13). Tintrihydride 7 reacts with trialkylamine Et 2 MeN to give as the product of a reductive elimination of hydrogen the distannane (TbbSnH 2 ) 2 (14). Transfer of hydrogen was observed in reaction of trihydrides TbbEH 3 (E = Ge, Sn) and Ar*GeH 3 with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC). The NHC adduct TbbSnH( iPr NHC) (15) was synthesized at rt and the germanium hydrides exhibit hydrogen transfer at higher temperatures to give Ar*GeH( Me NHC) (16) and TbbGeH( Me NHC) (17).