Tetrakis(tri‐ tert ‐butylsilyl)‐ tetrahedro ‐tetragermane ( t Bu 3 Si) 4 Ge 4 —The First Molecular Germanium Compound with a Ge 4 Tetrahedron

Deep red, oxidation‐ and hydrolysis‐sensitive crystals are formed by the title compound 1 , the first derivative of the tetrahedro ‐tetragermane Ge 4 H 4 . It was prepared according to Equation (a), and isolated and characterized in crystalline form as 2( t Bu 3 Si) 4 Ge 4 ·( t Bu 3 Si) 2 . In these crystals three of the four t Bu 3 Si groups of 1 —possibly as a result of interactions with the ( t Bu 3 Si) 2 molecules—are not arranged in radial symmetric manner in the Ge 4 tetrahedron, but are slightly bent.