Dehydrofluorination of the fluoro(fluorenyl)(phosphaalkenyl)germane 7 by tert-butyllithium in the presence of chlorotrimethylsilane affords the 1,2-bis(phosphaalkenyl)-1,2-digermacyclobutane 2. This reaction probably involves the prior formation of the transient; 3-germa-1-phosphabutadiene 1, followed by its head-to-head dimerization. 2 contains a distorted four-membered ring with long intracyclic Ge-Ge (2.5567(8) Angstrom), Ge-C(R-2) (2.058(4) Angstrom), and (R-2)CC(R-2). (1.592(6) Angstrom) bonds; mesityl groups are trans in relation to this heterocycle.
Pailhous, I., Declercq, J.-P., Ranaivonjatovo, H., Escudie, J., & Dubourg, A. (1999). From a transient 3-germa-1-phosphabutadiene to a 1,2-bis(phosphaalkenyl)-1,2-digermacyclobutane. Organometallics, 18(9), 1622-1628. https://doi.org/10.1021/om981027i (Original work published 1999)