Abstract This paper reports the results of studies on the reactions of trialkylsilyl-and germyl- pentafluorobenzenes with O-, N, S-and C-nucleophiles, and with LiAlH 4. Depending on the nature of the nucleophilic reagent, its attack is oriented towards a heteroatom (RO−, RS−), the C-4 atom of the pentafluorophenyl ring (BuLi, LiA1H 4, piperidyl-lithium) or at both electrophilic centres (piperidine, RS−).
