Activation of the Ge-H bond of Et3GeH in photochemical reaction with molybdenum(0) carbonyl complexes and hydrogermylation of norbornadiene

The germane intermediate σ-complexes, characterized by high-field resonances in the region from −6 to −8 ppm, have been detected during the ¹H NMR spectroscopy monitoring of the photochemical reaction of Et₃GeH with Mo(CO)₆, Mo(CO)₄(η⁴-cod)], and Mo(CO)₄(η⁴-nbd)] in the NMR tube. The activation of the Ge-H bond of germane in photochemical reaction of the norbornadiene (nbd) complex Mo(CO)₄(η⁴-nbd)] has been applied in the hydrogermylation of norbornadiene, which leads to the formation of triethylgermylnorbornene.