Abstract

New alkoxymesitylchlorogermanes and hindered aryloxymesitylchlorogermanes were synthesized either by intermolecular dehydrohalogenation between mesityltrichlorogermane and the corresponding alcohols or phenols, or by transmetallation. Both methods are limited by the steric hindrance of the organic moieties. Transmetallation from lithium fluorenol yields the corresponding aryloxymesityldichlorogermane in poor yields; by contrast the compound is easily formed by dehydrohalogenation in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene, From dimesityldichlorogermane, regardless of the method used, mesitylchlorofluorenoxygermane is always formed in a mixture with the bis(fluorenoxy) dimesitylgermane; from the dilithium derivative of fluorenol the five-membered 2,2-dimesityl-4,5-difluorenyl-1,3-germoxolane is formed which is explained by a further addition on fluorenone formed as by-product of the reaction, along with hexamesitylcyclotrigermane. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.