Derivatization of deltahedral Zintl ions by nucleophilic addition: [Ph-Ge9-SbPh2]2- and [Ph2Sb-Ge9-Ge9-SbPh2]4-.

The type of the reactions of addition of exo-bonded groups to deltahedral Zintl ions such as Ge9(n-) has been established as addition of anionic nucleophiles. Various nucleophiles such as Ph2Bi-, Ph2Sb-, Ph- interact with the relatively low-lying LUMO of Ge9(2-) and/or the half filled HOMO of Ge9(3-) and bond to the clusters. The title anions, characterized in their (K-crypt) salts where crypt = 4,7,13,16,21,24-hexaoxa-1,10-diazabicyclo-[8.8.8]-hexacosane, and the previously characterized [Ph2Sb-Ge9-SbPh2](2-) are made by a reaction of K4Ge9 with SbPh3 in ethylenediamine. [Ph-Ge9-SbPh2](2-) is the first ogranically functionalized deltahedral Zintl ion, i.e., a deltahedral ion with a direct carbon-cluster covalent bond, that can exists without the substituents as well. The Ge(9) clusters resemble tricapped trigonal prisms with one elongated edge (one of the three edges parallel to the pseudo 3-fold axis). The two substituents are always bonded to the vertexes of such an elongated edge. The same is true for the intercluster bond in [Ph2Sb-Ge9-Ge9-SbPh2)](4-).