Stabilization of low valent 14 group metal complexes by 9,10-diamidophenanthrene ligand

Stable germylene and stannylene bearing 9,10-diamidophenanthrene ligand were synthesized. Complexes were prepared by two methods: a) the reaction of dianionic lithium salts of phenanthrene-9,10-diimine with low valent 14 group metal halides (GeCl2·dioxane, SnCl2·dioxane); b) the treatment of phenanthrene-9,10-diamine with M[N(SiMe3)2]2 (M=Ge, Sn). The analogous Pb(II) complex was found to be unstable. The structures of the metallenes were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The germylene as well as the stannylene reacts with different radicals giving unstable paramagnetic derivatives that were identified by EPR spectroscopy.