Cyclohexasilanes with exocyclic organogermanium, -tin or -lead groups

A new class of mono- (2–4) and bis(undecamethylcyclohexasilanyl) (5–9) substituted germanium, tin and lead compounds is described. These molecules are accessible by treatment of undecamethylcyclohexasilanyl potassium (1) with chlorogermanes, -stannanes or plumbanes. Attempts to generate bis(cyclohexasilanyl)methanes, -plumbanes or tris(cyclohexasilanyl)methylstannane starting from dihalomethanes, -plumbanes or methyltrichlorostannane and 1 result only in transmetallation reactions. The molecular structures of a mono- (3) and a dicyclohexasilanyl stannane derivative 5 were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography.