An Isolable Bis(Germylene)‐Stabilized Plumbylone

Abstract

We report herein the synthesis of a stable plumbylone (3) by reduction of a bromodigermylplumbylene (2) with 2.2 equiv of potassium graphite (KC8). The molecular structure of 3 was established by a single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study and features a two‐coordinated Pb center with an acute Ge−Pb−Ge bond angle. Computational studies showed that this complex (3) possesses a singlet electronic ground state with a Pb0 center. Its high thermal stability can be most likely ascribed to the delocalization of π electrons over the Ge−Pb−Ge moiety. A preliminary reactivity study demonstrates that complex 3 can deliver Pb0 atoms to an organic azide producing a tetrameric imido complex [(PbNDipp)4] (Dipp=2,6‐iPr‐C6H3, 4) and perform a metathesis reaction with GeCl2⋅dioxane to produce a bis(germylene)‐stabilized germylone (5), highlighting the synthetic utility of 3.