Synthesis, crystal and molecular structures of the novel, structurally different, cage compounds (P6C4Bu4SiI2)-Si-t and (P6C4Bu4GeI2)-Ge-t, resultingfrom intra-molecular coupling of two 1,2,4-triphospholyl rings

Treatment of EI4 (E = Si or Ge) with 2 equivalents of K[P3C2Bu2t] affords t he novel cage compounds P6C4Bu4t- SiI2 and (P6C4Bu4GeI2)-Ge-t respectively, whose molecular structures, determined spectroscopically and by single cry stal X-ray diffraction studies, are different both in solution and in the s olid state.