Rational Synthesis of [Ge₉{Si(SiMe₃)₃}₃]⁻ from Its Parent Zintl Ion Ge₉^4–

Reported is the first rational synthesis of a trisubstituted deltahedral Zintl ion, [Ge₉{Si­(SiMe₃)₃}₃]⁻ in this case, by the addition of the three substituents in a reaction of the parent naked deltahedral Zintl ion Ge₉^4– with {(Me₃Si)₃Si}­Cl. The new species were crystallized and structurally characterized in [K­(2,2,2-crypt)]₂[Ge₉{Si­(SiMe₃)₃}₃] (monoclinic, <i>P</i>2₁/<i>c</i>, <i>a</i> = 26.497(3) Å, <i>b</i> = 24.090(2) Å, <i>c</i> = 29.268(3) Å, β = 113.888(2)°, <i>V</i> = 17082(3) ų, <i>Z</i> = 8, R1/wR2 = 0.0436/0.0812 for the observed data and 0.1023/0.1010 for all data)