Work

Flash Communication: Reversible O–H Bond Activation at a Bicyclic Germanide via Ge-Ligand Cooperativity

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Low-valent germanium compounds, such as germylenes, can undergo a variety of activation reactions, but the development of related catalytic processes is hindered by a challenging reductive elimination step. A possible way to overcome this obstacle is element-ligand cooperativity (ELC), which allows generation of reactive species without an oxidation state change at the element center. Here, we report the reactivity of the bicyclic germanide K[(tmim)Ge] (tmimH 3 = tris(3-methylindol-2-yl)methane) with a phenolic O–H bonds which, instead of formal oxidative addition, undergoes a reversible O–H addition reaction coupled with cage opening to generate a Ge(II) phenoxide via element-ligand cooperativity.

Source: Organometallics

DOI: 10.1021/acs.organomet.5c00486

Authors: Pamela Adienes Benzan Lantigua, Marie N. Velada Dugois, Martin Lutz, Marc-Etienne Moret

Institution: Utrecht University

Language: English

Topic: Synthesis and characterization of novel inorganic/organometallic compounds

Subfield: Inorganic Chemistry

Field: Chemistry

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Award: Non-Noble Metal Catalysis - NoNoMeCat