title: Mechanistic studies of the addition of carbonyl compounds to tetramesityldigermene.
abstract: The mechanism of the addition of carbonyl compounds to digermenes was investigated by examining the reaction between tetramesityldigermene and two mechanistic probes: trans-2-phenylcyclopropane carbaldehyde and trans,trans-2-methoxy-3-phenylcyclopropane carbaldehyde. In each reaction, two diastereomers of the formal [2+2] cycloadduct between the aldehyde and the digermene were obtained. These findings, together with the results of a recent theoretical study, indicate that the addition of carbonyl compounds to digermenes proceeds via a mechanism involving a zwitterionic intermediate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7.
authors.forename: Mini S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Samuel
authors.forename: Kim M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Baines