Coordination of Tri-Substituted Nona-Germanium Clusters to Cu(I) and Pd(0).
The recently developed approach for the rational functionalization of deltahedral nona-germanium clusters Ge9(4-) with three substituents to form Ge9R3(-) (R = Si(SiMe3)3) in large amounts has made the latter a convenient starting material for further reactivity studies. Reported here are the synthesis, structures, and solution studies of two compounds where Ge9R3(-) are used as ligands to transition metals, [(Ge9R3)Cu(I)(Ge9R3)Cu(I)PPh3] (1) and [(Ge9R3)Pd(0)(Ge9R3)](2-) (2). The former adds to the families of anionic [(Ge9R3)M(I)(Ge9R3)](-) (M(I) = Cu, Ag, and Au) as a neutral member and of the neutral [(Ge9R3)M(II)(Ge9R3)] (M(II) = Zn, Cd, and Hg), while the latter represents the first compound involving a metal from group 10.