X-ray diffraction study of 1-[9-(GeMe3,SnMe3)-9-fluorenyl)]-3,6,10-trimethylgermatranes

The crystals of C13H8(R)[N (CH2CHMeO)(3)Ge], where R = GeMe3 (I), SnMe3 (II ) were studied by X-ray crystallography (Enraf-Nonius CAD-4 diffractometer, MoKalpha radiation, graphite monochromator, omega scan mode, R = 0.0529 fo r 2691 reflections for I; and R = 0.0736 for 3200 reflections for II). Comp ounds I and II are isostructural. Crystals I are monoclinic, a = 10.100(5), b = 19.342(6), c = 13.244(6) Angstrom, beta = 94.87(4)degrees, V = 2578(2) Angstrom(3), Z = 4, Space group P2(1)/n. Crystals II are monoclinic; a = 1 0.243(3), b = 19.497(9), c = 13.174(7) Angstrom, beta = 95.76(4)degrees, V = 2618(2) Angstrom(3), Z = 4, space group P2(1)/n. In both structures, the coordination polyhedron of germanium is a distorted trigonal bipyramid with oxygen atoms in equatorial positions and C and N atoms in axial positions. In the crystal, the molecules of both I and II are represented by only a s ingle diastereomer with relative configuration (RSR).