Isolation and Ambident Reactivity of a Chlorogermylenoid.

Treatment of 2,5-di(3,5-tert-butylphenyl)-1-lithioferrocene with GeCl ⋅dioxane afforded the corresponding chlorogermylenoid that exhibited an ambident reactivity in different solvents; it displayed a behavior characteristic for a dichlorogermylene anion in THF, while it exhibited the typical reactivity of a chlorogermylene in toluene. X-Ray diffraction analysis of a single crystal of this chlorogermylenoid, obtained from recrystallization in THF, revealed a separated-ion-pair structure in the solid state.