Facile synthesis of digermylene oxide and its reactivity towards vanadocene: the first example of Cp2V–germylene coordination

Digermylene oxide was prepared by hydrolysis of O,N-heterocyclic germylene, and its reactivity was examined in situ. Its treatment with N-heterocyclic carbene produces dianionic digermylene oxide while its reaction with vanadocene gives the dinuclear derivative, a rare example of a compound containing the vanadium–germylene coordination bond. The product structures were confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis.