Reductive Elimination and Oxidative Addition of Hydrogen at Organostannylium and Organogermylium Cations.

Bulkily substituted organodihydrogermylium and -stannylium cations [Ar*EH2 ]+ (E=Ge, Sn; Ar*=2,6-Trip2 C6 H3 , Trip=2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl) were characterized as salts of the weakly coordinating perfluorinated alkoxyaluminate anion [Al{OC(CF3 )3 }4 ]- . At room temperature, the stannylium cation liberates hydrogen to generate the low valent organotin cation [Ar*Sn]+ . In contrast, the dihydrogermylium cation transfers the hydrogen atoms to an aryl moiety of the terphenyl ligand and oxidatively adds either hydrogen under an atmosphere of hydrogen or a sp2 CH unit of the 1,2-difluorobenzene solvent.