A germanide is any binary compound of

germanium Germanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ge and atomic number 32. It is lustrous, hard-brittle, grayish-white and similar in appearance to silicon. It is a metalloid in the carbon group that is chemically similar to its group neighbors s ...

and a more

electropositive Electronegativity, symbolized as , is the tendency for an atom of a given chemical element to attract shared electrons (or electron density) when forming a chemical bond. An atom's electronegativity is affected by both its atomic number and the d ...

element. The composition of most germanides is analogous to that of the corresponding

silicide A silicide is a type of chemical compound that combines silicon and a (usually) more electropositive element. Silicon is more electropositive than carbon. Silicides are structurally closer to borides than to carbides. Similar to borides and carbi ...

s and does not follow formal valence rules. The germanides of alkali and alkaline earth metals, are readily decomposed by water and acids to give germanium hydrides; most germanides of the

transition metal In chemistry, a transition metal (or transition element) is a chemical element in the d-block of the periodic table (groups 3 to 12), though the elements of group 12 (and less often group 3) are sometimes excluded. They are the elements that can ...

s resist the action of acids and alkalies. The main method of producing germanides is the melting or sintering of the components. The IUPAC Red Book uses the name tetragermide for compounds containing and instead uses the term germanide (or trihydridogermanate(1-)) for the anion.

Examples

Copper germanide Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish- ...

References

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