Synthesis and characterisation of 1-[9-(H, Me3Si, Me3Ge, Me3Sn)-9-fluorenyl]-3,7,10-trimethylgermatranes. The crystal structure analysis of 1-(9-fluorenyl)-3,7,10-trimethylgermatrane

The title compounds, viz. C13H8(R)Ge . (OCHMeCH2)(3)N (1: R = H, 2: R = Me3 Si; 3: R = Me3Ge) were prepared as mixtures of diastereomers by the reactio n of N(CH(2)CHMeOSnAlk(3))(3) (7: Alk = Et; 8: Alk = Bu) with C13H8(R)GeBr3 (4: R=H, 5: R=Me3Si; 6: R=Me3Ge), respectively. The synthesis of C13H8(Me3 Sn)Ge (OCHMeCH2)(3)N (13) by the reaction of germatrane (1) with Me3SnNMe2 is reported. Identity and structures were established by elemental analyses ,H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. The crystal structure of 1 was determined by X-ray diffraction methods.