Bulky Arene-Bridged Bis(Amide) And Bis(Amidinate) Complexes Of Germanium(Ii) And Tin(Ii)

Several new, very bulky arene-bridged bis(amine) (viz. 1,3- and 1,4-{N(H)(SiPr3i)}(2)(mu-C6H4), (LH2)-H-1 and (LH2)-H-2, respectively) and bis(amidine) pro-ligands (viz. 4,6-{[Dip(H)N](DipN)C}(2)(mu-DBF), DBF = dibenzofurandiyl, (LH2)-H-3; and 1,3-{(ArN)-N-dagger(H)C(Bu-t)N}(2)(mu-C6H4), Ar-dagger = C6H2{C(H)Ph-2}(2)Pr-i-2,6,4, (LH2)-H-4) have been developed. All can be doubly deprotonated with LiBun. The resultant dilithium salts react with either GeCl2 center dot(dioxane) or SnBr2 to yield a series of amidotetrelylenecyclophanes (:E(mu-L-1)(2)E: and :E(mu-L-2)(2)E:, E = Ge or Sn) and bis(halotetrelylene) complexes (:E(X)(mu-L-3)(X)E:, E = Ge or Sn, X = Cl or Br; and :Ge(Cl)(mu-L-4)(Cl)Ge:). Reduction of :Ge(Cl)(mu-L-4)(Cl)Ge: with KC8 afforded the crystallographically characterised bis(amido/amidinatogermylene) compound, :Ge(mu-L-4)(2)Ge:, which is believed to have formed via a disproportionation process.