n-butyllithium; water in tetrahydrofuran; hexane (dry N2); addn. of 2 molar equivs. of n-BuLi in hexane to Ge-compd. in THF at 0°C, stirring at 0°C (1 h), addn. of distd. H2O; extn. (Et2O), drying combined exts. (Na2SO4), evapn., chromy. (silica gel, benzene/ethyl acetate); mass spectroscopic examn. of the Ge-compd.;