Water and Ammonia Complexes of Germanium(II) Dications

Craftily crowned: The treatment of crown ether GeII dications with water or ammonia produces the stable complexes [([15]crown-5)Ge⋅OH2][OTf]2 (see picture; Ge orange, O red, F green, S yellow, H blue) and [([15]crown-5)Ge⋅NH3][OTf]2. The OH and NH hydrogen atoms are rendered more acidic in these compounds.