The dark green crystals of
3a and
3b in the same monoclinic space group
P2
1/
c were obtained from the respective concentrated hexane solutions. The corresponding molecular structures are depicted in
Fig. 2. There are two independent molecules in the structure cell of
3b that have no significant geometric differences, so only one metric parameter is discussed. The molecular structures of
3a and
3b confirm the three-coordinate environment of the Ge centers. A cyclopentadienyl ligand, two carbonyls, and the anionic germylene ligand are coordinated to the Fe atoms of
3a and
3b. In contrast with planar five-membered C
3NGe-rings of the precursors
2a and
2b, ferrogermylene complexes
3a and
3b exhibit distorted pyramidal Ge centers and slightly puckered five-membered C
3NGe-rings. The angles between the Ge-Fe bond and the Ge1-C1-N1 plane (
3a: 123.0° and
3b: 114.4°) are larger than those in reported digermylenes with the same azadiene anion L
− of
3a (LGe−GeL), and smaller than that in
2a. The azadiene C
3N backbone of the five-membered heterocycles in
3a and
3b are nearly planar, but Ge atoms are out of planes by 12.7° and 9.3°, respectively. The negative nucleus-independent chemical shift values [NICS(1) for the C
3NGe-ring in
3a, −11.6; in
3b, −10.5] confirm the aromatic C
3NGe-rings in two compounds, which can provide delocalized molecular orbitals on Ge side for a further
π overlap with d orbitals of Fe and improve the electronic exchange during the metallic bonding. Therefore, the Ge-Fe distances in
3a and
3b are just related to the metallic Ge-Fe bond. The Ge–Fe bond lengths in
3a (2.4142(5) Å) and
3b (2.4415(11) Å) are comparable to those in reported species (Piso)GeFeCp(CO)
2 (2.442 Å, Piso
− = [ArNC(
tBu)NAr]
−), and (
ArNacnac)GeFeCp(CO)
2 (2.496 Å, Ar=2, 6-
iPr
2C
6H
3) [
4,
5], but obviously longer than those in germylene→Fe complexes
B [
2,
8-
11] and the corresponding distances in ferrogermane derivatives
D [
39-
41]. The Ge-Fe bond length in
3b is around 3 pm longer than that in
3a, indicating an accurate adjustment of electron density in molecular orbitals during bonding. Different from two phenyls and an electron-donating methyl on azadiene backbone of
3b, the electron-withdrawing effect of three phenyl groups of
3a can help to bring about the slightly electron-poor C
3NGe-ring. This should enhance the
π back-donation from the
3d shell of Fe to the
π* molecular orbitals of C
3NGe-ring and cause a little stronger Ge-Fe interaction in
3a than that in
3b, although this
π backbonding is actually weak in both molecules. In fact, the Ge-Fe interactions only lead to a very slight difference in the C—O bond lengths of 1.147(3) and 1.149(3) Å in
3a, as well as 1.149(8) and 1.155(8) Å in
3b. The fact of longer Ge-N bond lengths of
3a (1.9571(18) Å) and
3b (1.995(5) Å) than those in precursors
2a (1.891(2) Å) and
2b (1.833(7) Å) should also be due to the Ge←Fe
π backbond.