Polyol metal complexes. 35 - Diolato silicate and germanate ions from aqueous solution

Hydrated lithium salts of monoanionic bis(diolato)-hydroxo complexes of sil icon and germanium have been crystallized from alkaline aqueous solutions. The isotypic compounds Li[E(AnErytH(-2))(2)(OH)]. H2O, E = Si (1) or Ge (2) , AnErytH(-2) = anhydroerythritol dianions, were obtained in the form of ps eudomeroedric twins, a fact that may be traced back to orthorhombic pseudos ymmetry of the monoclinic crystals. With potassium as the counterion, anhyd rous crystals of K[Si(AnErytH(-2))2(OH)] were grown by evaporating the solv ent almost entirely from the aqueous mother liquors.