Low-valent Main-group Catalysis Under Ambient Conditions Using a Germylene Cation*

Catalysis using low-valent main-group compounds is usually done under inert conditions; no example of such catalysis has been doable entirely in ambient conditions until now. This aspect is addressed in this work through an air- and water-stable germylene cation ([DPMGe][(OH)B(C6F5)3] (2) (DPM = dipyrromethene); it efficiently catalyzes aldehyde and ketone hydrosilylations under ambient conditions. Detailed theoretical studies reveal that compound 2's stability is bolstered by the interaction between the anion and germanium's frontier orbitals. However, the detachment of the anion (in the solution) alters the capability of compound 2 to render exceptional catalytic efficiency. Compound 2 was synthesized under ambient conditions by the equimolar reaction of DPMGeOH (1) with B(C6F5)3.