The hydrogermolysis reaction has been shown to be useful for the formation of germanium-germaniumbonds. The Ge-Ge bond forming reaction involves a germanium amide and a germanium hydride andrequires the use of acetonitrile as the solvent. A key factor in the formation of the Ge-Ge bond involvesreaction of the germanium amide R
3GeNMe
2 with acetonitrile solvent to furnish an
![](/images/gif<font color=)
chars/alpha.gif" BORDER=0>-germylated nitrileR
3GeCH
2CN whi
ch contains a labile Ge-C bond. This species undergoes subsequent reaction with agermanium hydride R
3GeH to form the Ge-Ge bond. Using this method, the digermanes Bu
n3GeGePh
3and Et
3GeGePh
3 have been obtained and their X-ray crystal structures have been determined. Thepreparation of three synthons for stepwise oligogermane
chain buildup, R
2Ge(NMe
2)CH
2CH
2OEt (R =Et, Bu, Ph), has also been a
chieved. These synthons react with Ph
3GeH in CH
3CN to afford thecorresponding digermanes, whi
ch in the case of R = Et and Bu undergo subsequent reaction with DIBAL-Hto generate a digermane hydride. The ethyl and
n-butyl digermane hydrides then are subsequently reactedwith an additional equivalent of the appropriate synthon to produce the corresponding trigermanes, andrepetition of these two steps furnishes the tetragermanes Ph
3GeGe(R
2)Ge(R
2)Ge(R
2)CH
2CH
2OEt (R =Et, Bu). Thus, in this study two new series of oligomeric organogermanium species have been preparedand fully
characterized.