The catalytic utility of a germylene cation 4 is reported. In the presence of compound 4, a variety of aldehydes and ketones can be hydroborylated using HBpin.

A triflatostannylene [L†Sn][OTf] (2) is found to be an efficient catalyst with low-valent main-group element for the hydroboration of aldehydes and ketones.

Hitherto unknown germaacid chloride (1), germaester (2), and Ngermaacyl pyrrole (3) compounds are stabilised as Lewis acid complexes. Reactivity studies on them yielded compounds such as germaynone (4) and germaacyl thioester (10).

The ability of a platinum compound to act as a catalyst for the cyanosilylation of carbonyl compounds is demonstrated through a well-defined germylene stabilized Pt(ii) dicyanide, trans-{(iBu)2ATIGe(iPr)}2Pt(CN)2.

Designing a metal catalyst that addresses the major issues of solubility, stability, toxicity, cell uptake, and reactivity within complex biological milieu for bioorthogonal controlled transformation reactions is a highly formidable challenge. Herein, we report an organoiridium complex that is nontoxic and capable of the uncaging of allyloxycarbonyl-protected amines under biologically relevant conditions and within living cells. The potential applications of this uncaging chemistry have been demonstrated by the generation of diagnostic and therapeutic agents upon the activation of profluorophore and prodrug in a controlled fashion within HeLa cells, providing a valuable tool for numerous potential biological and therapeutic applications.