title: The addition of nitriles to a molecular digermene: reversible addition and comparison to surface reactivity.
abstract: The addition of acetonitrile, propionitrile, and acrylonitrile to tetramesityldigermene was investigated and compared to the addition of acetonitrile and acrylonitrile to germanium dimers on the Ge(100)-2×1 surface. In each case, a 1,2,3-azadigermetine was formed as the major product. As on the surface, the addition of nitriles to digermenes was found to be reversible, providing the first example of a reversible cycloaddition of a ditetrelene. No evidence for a six-membered cyclic ketenimine was observed as noted in the surface chemistry, suggesting that the surface ketenimine might only form between two adjacent dimers rather than on a single dimer. The comparative chemistry provides important insights that are not possible by the independent study of each system.
authors: Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7 (Canada).
authors: Julie A
authors: JA
authors: Hardwick
authors: Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7 (Canada). kbaines2@uwo.ca.
authors: Kim M
authors: KM
authors: Baines
keywords: Group 14 Elements; digermenes; germanium; nitriles; surface chemistry