Germanium(II)-inserted .eta.5-closo-germacarboranes and their donor-acceptor complexes. Crystal structure of 1-Ge(C10H8N2)-2,3-(Me3Si)2-2,3-C2B4H4

The reaction of GeCl 4 with the nido-carborane dianionic salts NaLi[(Me 3 Si)(R)C 2 B 4 H 4 ] (R=SiMe 3 , Me, or H) produced closo-1-Ge II -2,3-(SiMe 3 ) 2 -2,3-C 2 B 4 H 4 , closo-1-Ge II -2-(SiMe 3 )-3-(Me)-2,3-C 2 B 4 H 4 , and closo-1-Ge II -2-(SiMe 3 )-2,3-C 2 B 4 H 5 . In addition to the corresponding neutral nido-carborane precursors, the Ge(IV)-inserted derivatives of commo-bis(germacarborane), [(Me 3 Si)(R)C 2 B 4 H 4 ] 2 Ge IV , were also produced when R=SiMe 3 , Me, and H. The closo-germacarboranes react slowly with 2,2'-bipyridine in benzene to form electron donor-acceptor complexes