Effects of the alkali metal counter ions on the germanium-germanium double bond length in a heavier group 14 element ethenide salt.

The first, well-characterized 1,2-dilithium salt of a group 14 element ethenide species, [[(dioxane)(0.5)(Et2O)LiGeC6H3-2,6-Mes2]2]infinity, shows that the positions of the cations have a large effect on the length of the Ge-Ge double bond.