Experimental and theoretical study of vibrational spectra and structure of dihalogermylene and dihalostannylene complexes with 1,4-dioxane and triphenylphosphine

Vibrational (Raman and IR) spectra of the 1:1 complexes of dihalogermylene and dihalostannylene with 1,4-dioxane and PPh₃ have been reported, the structures of the complexes Cl₂Ge·C₄H₈O₂ and Cl₂Ge·PPh₃ updated using high-resolution X-ray method. Quantum-chemistry calculations of the geometry and normal mode frequencies and eigenvectors were carried out for some of the complexes. The results show that in the structure of the polymeric solid complexes of X₂M with 1,4-dioxane, intermolecular coordination XM plays a prominent role, whereas the corresponding complexes with PPh₃ are monomeric. In the vibrational spectra of all the complexes, an inversion of symmetric and antisymmetric stretching νXM (X=Cl, Br; M=Ge, Sn) frequencies, found for ‘free’ X₂M^II particles, still persists, suggesting that the X₂M moieties preserve their specifity as carbene analogues also in the complexes.