It is not attacked by air at room temperature but is oxidized at 600°–700° C (1,100°–1,300° F) and reacts quickly with the halogens to form tetrahalides. Among the acids, only concentrated nitric or sulfuric acid or aqua regia (a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids) attack germanium appreciably.
Is germanium reactive or stable?
Pure germanium is a hard, lustrous, gray-white, brittle metalloid. It has a diamondlike crystalline structure and it is similar in chemical and physical properties to silicon. Germanium is stable in air and water, and is unaffected by alkalis and acids, except nitric acid.
Is germanium more reactive than silicon?
Reaction of germanium with air
The surface of lumps of germanium is protected by a very thin layer of germanium dioxide, GeO2. It is more reactive than silicon, which is immediately above germanium in the periodic table, but not by much. At red heat, germanium reacts with oxygen in air to from germanium dioxide.
