Germanium Analogue of the Parent Phosphine‐Borane FLP compound

Abstract Diimino−carbene‐supported germylone dimNHCGe does not react with BPh 3 and does not activate dihydrogen in the FLP mode in the combination with this borane. However, it reacts with B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 to give the zwitterionic borate dimNHCGe−(C 6 F 4 )BF(C 6 F 5 ) 2 . This compound can be converted into the hydroborate dimNHCGe−(C 6 F 4 )BH(C 6 F 5 ) 2 ( 8 ) and further into [dimNHCGe−(C 6 F 4 )B(C 6 F 5 ) 2 ] + ( 4 ). Compound 4 is a Ge/B analogue of Stephan's FLP parent P/B compound (C 6 H 2 Me 3 ) 2 P−C 6 F 4 −B(C 6 F 5 ) 2 but unlike the latter cannot split dihydrogen. Moreover, attempts to prepare a Ge/B analogue of the zwitterion (C 6 H 2 Me 3 ) 2 HP−C 6 F 4 −BH(C 6 F 5 ) 2 by protonation of borate 8 resulted in immediate elimination of H 2.