FORMATION AND REACTIONS OF THE FIRST DIARYLGERMANONE STABLE IN SOLUTION

Treatment of an overcrowded diarylgermylene bearing 2,4,6-tris[bis(tri methylsilyl)methyl]phe and 2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl groups with triben zylamine N-oxide gave the corresponding diarylgermanone 4, the first e xample of a stable germanium-oxygen double-bond compound. Germanone 4 was stable in solution at room temperature for a short time and underw ent [2+3]cycloaddition with mesitonitrile oxide, while in the absence of such a trapping reagent 4 gave two diastereomeric intramolecular cy clization products 8 and 9.