Collection of Czechoslovak Chemical Communications - digital archive 

Abstract

The synthesis and X-ray crystal structure determination of [(2,3-Et₂C₂B₄H₄)Co(2,3-Et₂C₂B₃H₃-5-Bu)Ru]₄ (3) are reported. Complex 3 was obtained serendipitously in low yield from a reaction of [(η⁴-C₈H₁₂)Ru(MeCN)₄][PF₆]₂ with the (Et₂C₂B₄H₄)Co(Et₂C₂B₃H₃Bu)^2- anion in THF solution at room temperature. The molecular geometry of 3, isolated as a yellow-orange crystalline solid, is without precedent in boron cluster chemistry and consists of an array of four (Et₂C₂B₄H₄)Co(Et₂C₂B₃H₃Bu)Ru units linked via intercluster Ru-B covalent bonds. Each cluster moiety contains a double-decker (C₂B₄)Co(C₂B₃) sandwich with an exo-polyhedral ruthenium atom occupying a "wedging" position in which it is bound to the C₂B₃ and the C₂B₄ ligands as well as to a neighboring sandwich unit.

Keywords: Boranes; Carboranes; Metallacarboranes; Ruthenium; Cobalt clusters; Sandwich complexes.