Direct time-resolved study of the kinetics of the gas-phase reaction of germylene with triethylgermane: a negative activation energy for the Ge–H insertion process

Gas-phase rate constants, obtained from 292–557 K, yield an activation energy of –10.6±1.1 kJ mol–1 for the insertion reaction of GeH2 into a Ge–H bond (of triethylgermane); these results indicate the likely involvement of an intermediate complex.