Synthetic, structural and theoretical studies of amidinate and guanidinate stabilised germanium(i) dimers

Abstract
The neutral germanium(I) dimers, [{Ge(Piso)}2] and [{Ge(Giso)}2], Piso = [(ArN)2CBut], Giso = [(ArN)2CNPri 2], Ar = C6H3Pri 2-2,6, which are stabilised by bulky amidinate and guanidinate ligands respectively, have been prepared by reduction of the corresponding germanium(II) chlorides, [Ge(Piso)Cl] and [Ge(Giso)Cl]; theoretical studies suggest that the Ge–Ge bonds of [{Ge(Piso)}2] and [{Ge(Giso)}2] are associated with their HOMOs, whilst their LUMOs have substantial Ge–Ge π-bonding character.