The quest for organometallic cations R3E~+ of the heavier Group 14 elements E has been a central theme in element-organic chemistry for the last twenty years. Several examples of these analogues of classical carbenium ions were recently synthesized, and some have found applications in synthesis and catalysis. In light of the high electrophilicity of the cations of Group 14 elements in the oxidation state + IV, it is intriguing to imagine the reactivity and the synthetic potential of species that combine the principal properties of carbene analogues with those of cations, that is, compounds of the composition RE:~+ with the Group 14 element in the oxidation state + II.
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