Taming the germyliumylidene [CIGe:]+ and germathionium [CIGeS]+ ions by donor–acceptor stabilization using 1,8-bis(tributylphosphazenyl)naphthalene

The novel chlorogermyliumylidene complex L[ClGe:](+) (L = 1,8-bis(tri-n-butylphosphanzenyl)naphthalene) with a 'naked' Cl(-) as a counter anion was synthesized through reaction of L with Cl(2)Ge: and fully characterized. Its reaction with elemental sulfur afforded the first germathionium [ClGe=S](+) cation containing species. The latter has also been fully characterized, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.