Digermyl selenide and some associated germanium–selenium hydride systems

Germyl-phosphine and -arsine both react with hydrogen selenide to form digermyl selenide. Evidence is provided by 1H n.m.r. spectroscopy that germyl hydrogen selenide is a reaction intermediate and that germylenebis-(germyl selenide), (GeH3Se)2GeH2, and possibly germylidynetris- and germanetetrayltetrakis-(germyl selenide), (GeH3Se)3GeH and (GeH3Se)4Ge are condensation products. The vibrational spectrum of digermyl selenide is discussed.