Redox flexibility in a germanium hydride manifold: hydrogen shuttling via oxidative addition and reductive elimination.

We report the synthesis of a trimetallic mixed-valence Ge(I)/Ge(II)/Ge(III) trihydride, which presents a structural novel motif among systems of the type (XMH) (M = group 14 metal). In terms of reactivity (Ar)GeGe(Ar)(H)Ge(Ar)(H) can act as a source of both the Ge(II) and Ge(IV) hydrides Ge-H reductive elimination from the central metal centre involving two different regiochemistries.