Chemie der schweren carben-analogen R2M, M = Si, Ge, Sn : XVIII. Eine unerwartete Ge---C-Spaltung des als Dimethylgermylen-Speicher dienenden 7,7-Dimethyl-7-germanorbornadiens

During thermolysis of the 7-germanorbornadiene 1 in chlorobenzene at 70°C in the presence of concentrated hydrochloric acid, besides the well-known formation of free germylene Me₂Ge and its consecutive product dimethylchlorogermane 2, the polar splitting of only one Ge---C bond in 1 has been observed for the first time. It does not yield Me₂Ge, but instead it rapidly forms the 1-germyl-1,4-dihydronaphthalene 3. The kinetics of this reaction at 53°C are of 2nd order, t_1/2 = 20 min, k = 0.22 l mol⁻¹ min⁻¹. At room temperature 3 is formed quantitatively. Also, at 70°C the slower formation of the germylene Me₂Ge from 1 can be suppressed completely if HCl gas is bubbled through the reaction mixture, thus favouring the rapid formation of 3. As a by-product the 1,2-dihydronaphthalene 5 is generated.