Activation of the Ge–H bond of Et3GeH in photochemical reaction with molybdenum(0) carbonyl complexes and hydrogermylation of norbornadiene

The germane intermediate σ-complexes, characterized by high-field resonances in the region from −6 to −8 ppm, have been detected during the 1H NMR spectroscopy monitoring of the photochemical reaction of Et3GeH with Mo(CO)6, [Mo(CO)4(η4-cod)], and [Mo(CO)4(η4-nbd)] in the NMR tube. The activation of the Ge–H bond of germane in photochemical reaction of the norbornadiene (nbd) complex [Mo(CO)4(η4-nbd)] has been applied in the hydrogermylation of norbornadiene, which leads to the formation of triethylgermylnorbornene.