{[Si(SiMe)]Ge-SiMe-(CH)-SiMe-Ge[Si(SiMe)]K}: The Connection of Metalloid Clusters via an Organic Linker.

The reaction of [(Hyp)Ge] (Hyp = Si(SiMe)) with ClSiMe-CH-SiMeCl gives [K(THF)][(Hyp)Ge-SiMe-CH-SiMe-Ge(Hyp)K] K1 in 45% yield in the form of orange-red crystals. 1 is thereby the first compound where two Ge(Hyp) clusters are bound together via a bridging ligand. 1 is stable in solution but cannot be transferred intact into the gas phase via electrospray ionization indicating a higher reactivity with respect to other metalloid GeR clusters. The arrangement of the nine germanium atoms within the two Ge units in 1 is unique for metalloid GeR clusters. Quantum chemical calculations further reveal an electronic interaction of the two Ge units in 1 via the bridging phenylene group.