Unique Digoldgermanes: Structural Characteristics, Dynamic Behaviour and Distinctive Reactions

Abstract

Digoldgermanes with a gold coordinated by a dialkylgermylene ligand, R’2Ge(AuPR3)(AuGeR’2) (3a; R = Me, 3b; R = Et), were synthesized as green solids through the reactions of stable dialkylgermylene 1 with R3PAuCl followed by the reduction with KC8 at ambient temperatures. The structural characteristics of 3a and 3b were elucidated using NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and DFT calculations. An intense absorption maximum was observed at 590 nm in the UV-vis spectrum of 3a in hexane. A pendular motion of AuPR3 group between Ge(IV) and Ge(II) of 3a and 3b occurring in the NMR time scale was found by the dynamic 1H NMR analysis, suggesting that the Ge(II) ligand has an enhanced electrophilicity to be attacked by the nucleophilic gold atom which closes to ‒1 oxidation state. DFT calculations of 3a revealed the existence of high-lying σ(Ge-Au) type HOMO and low-lying LUMO with germylene pπ nature. We show the bond formation and activation alternatively at Au or Ge atom, a methylation of digoldgermane 3a with MeOTf affords methylgermane 5. Moreover, the digoldgermane 3a reacts with Cl− ion of Ph4PCl and CH3C(O)Cl smoothly to form the corresponding chloride-addition product 7 and chlorogoldgermane 9, respectively. Cyclic trimerization reactions of aromatic isocyanates were high-efficiently catalyzed by 3a giving the corresponding 1,3,5-triaryl isocyanurates.