An acyclic zincagermylene: rapid activation of dihydrogen at sub-ambient temperature

Abstract

The first example of a stable zincagermylene, :Ge(TBoN)(ZnL*) (TBoN = N(SiMe₃){B(DipNCH)₂}, Dip = C₆H₃Prⁱ₂-2,6; L* = –N{C₆H₂[C(H)Ph₂]₂Me-2,6,4}(SiPrⁱ₃)) is prepared and shown to have unprecedented reactivity for a germylene, with respect to the activation of dihydrogen. Computational analyses point towards this being partially derived from the electron releasing nature of the amido–zinc fragment, which leads to a narrowing of the HOMO–LUMO gap in the compound.