Photolysis of 1, 1-diphenylgermacyclobutane and two phenyl-substituted derivatives in hexane solution results in competing (2+ 2) and (1+ 3) cycloreversion to yield the corresponding 1, 1-diarylgermenes and diarylgermylenes, with the relative yield of the latter increasing dramatically with increasing trifluoromethyl substitution on the aryl rings. The kinetics and mechanisms of the reactions of the germenes with nucleophilic substrates ...