This thesis investigates the synthesis of germylenes, stannylenes, phosphenium cation salts, and silylene precursor compounds with intramolecular donor stabilization. The ligands used in this study are of the general type RNHCH2CH 2N(R')CH2CH2NHR, with R ='Bu and R' ='Bu, Me. The concept is attractive because the dative bond from the central nitrogen to the metal atom increases the coordination number of the central atom to three while maintaining its low oxidation state. From crystallographic data of a pair of hydridosilanes it was determined that the length of the dative bond is very sensitive to the size of the N-alkyl substituent. For R = 'Bu, X-ray crystallography reveals the dative bond to be 312 pm in length, however for Me the dative bond contracts to 203 pm. The stronger dative bond is also detectable through a characteristic strong shielding of the 29Si NMR signal.