Miao Hsing Hsu

Chalcogen-Containing Manganese Carbonyl Clusters: Synthesis and Structural Transformations

Recently, we have developed several synthetic routes to the new classes of chalcogen-containing manganese carbonyl clusters, and the interesting structural transformations and reactivity of the resultant clusters have been investigated as well. In this short review, the syntheses and bonding modes of the sulfur, selenium, and tellurium-containing manganese carbonyl complexes reported by our laboratory will be presented, and the cluster growth and transformation will be systematically compared and discussed.

Chromium-manganese selenide carbonyl complexes: paramagnetic clusters and relevance to C=O activation of acetone.

The paramagnetic even-electron cluster, [Et(4)N](2)[Se(2)Cr(3)(CO)(10)], was found to react readily with Mn(CO)(5)Br in acetone to produce two unprecedented mixed chromium-manganese selenide carbonyl complexes, [Et(4)N][Me(2)CSe(2){Mn(CO)(4)}{Cr(CO)(5)}(2)] ([Et(4)N][1]) and [Et(4)N](2)[Se(2)Mn(3)(CO)(10){Cr(CO)(5)}(2)] ([Et(4)N](2)[2]). X-ray crystallographic analysis showed that anion 1 consisted of two Se-Cr(CO)(5) moieties, which were further bridged by one isopropylene group and one Mn(CO)(4) moiety. The dianionic cluster 2 was shown to display a Se(2)Mn(3) square-pyramidal core with each Se atom externally coordinated by one Cr(CO)(5) group. The formation of complex 1, presumably via C=O activation of acetone, was further facilitated by acidification of the reaction of [Et(4)N](2)[Se(2)Cr(3)(CO)(10)] with Mn(CO)(5)Br in acetone. Complex 1 readily transformed into 2 upon treatment with Mn(2)(CO)(10) in a KOH/MeOH/MeCN solution. Cluster 2 was a 51-electron species, which readily converted to the known 49-electron cluster [Se(2)Mn(3)(CO)(9)](2-) upon heating and bubbling with CO. Magnetic studies of the even-electron cluster, [Et(4)N](2)[Se(2)Cr(3)(CO)(10)], and the odd-electron species, [Et(4)N](2)[2] and [PPN](2)[Se(2)Mn(3)(CO)(9)], were determined by the SQUID measurement to have 2, 3, and 1 unpaired electrons, respectively. In addition, the nature and formation of complexes 1 and 2 are discussed, and the magnetic properties and electrochemistry of [Se(2)Cr(3)(CO)(10)](2-), 2, and [Se(2)Mn(3)(CO)(9)](2-) were further studied and elucidated by molecular orbital calculations at the PW91 level of density functional theory.

Reactions of the μ3-sulfido triiron cluster [SFe3(CO)9]2− with functionalized organic halides and mercury salts: selective reactivity, electrochemistry, and theoretical calculations

When the μ3-sulfido triiron cluster [SFe3(CO)9]2− was treated with BrCH2C(O)OCH3 in MeCN, the ester-functionalized complex [SFe3(CO)9(CH2C(O)OCH3)]− (1) was obtained. Cluster 1 displays a SFe3 tetrahedral core with one of the Fe atoms bonded to an ester ligand CH2C(O)OCH3. In contrast, when [SFe3(CO)9]2− was treated with dihaloalkanes X(CH2)nX′ (X = Cl, X′ = Br, n = 3; X = X′ = I, n = 4) in MeCN, the sulfur-alkylated complexes [X(CH2)nSFe3(CO)9]− (X = Cl, n = 3, 2; X = I, n = 4, 3) were formed, respectively. Clusters 2 and 3 each exhibits a SFe3 tetrahedral core with the sulfur atom attached to the halide-functionalized alkyl group. Furthermore, the Hg-bridged di-SFe3 complex [{SFe3(CO)9}2(μ4-Hg)]2− (4) was isolated from the reaction of [SFe3(CO)9]2− with 2 equiv. of Hg(OAc)2 in acetone. However, when [SFe3(CO)9]2− was treated with HgI2 under similar conditions, the HgI-bridged cluster [SFe3(CO)9(μ-HgI)]− (5) was produced. In addition, complex 4 could be transformed into complex 3 upon treatment with I(CH2)4I in MeCN. Conversely, complex 3 could be reconverted into 4 in the presence of Hg(OAc)2 in an acetone solution. Clusters 1–5 were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray analysis. In particular, the nature and selective formation as well as electrochemistry of complexes 1–5, which resulted from the different reactive sites (Fevs. S atom) of [SFe3(CO)9]2−, were also examined and compared systematically by molecular orbital calculations at the B3LYP level of the density functional theory.

Lead-chromium carbonyl complexes incorporated with group 8 metals: synthesis, reactivity, and theoretical calculations.

The trichromium-lead complex [Pb{Cr(CO)5}3](2-) (1) was isolated from the reaction of PbCl2 and Cr(CO)6 in a KOH/MeOH solution, and the new mixed chromium-iron-lead complex [Pb{Cr(CO)5}{Fe(CO)4}2](2-) (3) was synthesized from the reaction of PbCl2 and Cr(CO)6 in a KOH/MeOH solution followed by the addition of Fe(CO)5. X-ray crystallography showed that 3 consisted of a central Pb atom bound in a trigonal-planar environment to two Fe(CO)4 and one Cr(CO)5 fragments. When complex 1 reacted with 1.5 equiv of Mn(CO)5Br, the Cr(CO)4-bridged dimeric lead-chromium carbonyl complex [Pb2Br2Cr4(CO)18](2-) (4) was produced. However, a similar reaction of 3 or the isostructural triiron-lead complex [Pb{Fe(CO)4}3](2-) (2) with Mn(CO)5Br in MeCN led to the formation of the Fe3Pb2-based trigonal-bipyramidal complexes [Fe3(CO)9{PbCr(CO)5}2](2-) (6) and [Fe3(CO)9{PbFe(CO)4}2](2-) (5), respectively. On the other hand, the Ru3Pb2-based trigonal-bipyramidal complex [Ru3(CO)9{PbCr(CO)5}2](2-) (7) was obtained directly from the reaction of PbCl2, Cr(CO)6, and Ru3(CO)12 in a KOH/MeOH solution. X-ray crystallography showed that 5 and 6 each had an Fe3Pb2 trigonal-bipyramidal core geometry, with three Fe(CO)3 groups occupying the equatorial positions and two PbFe(CO)4 or PbCr(CO)5 units in the axial positions, while 7 displayed a Ru3Pb2 trigonal-bipyramidal geometry with three equatorial Ru(CO)3 groups and two axial PbCr(CO)5 units. The complexes 3-7 were characterized spectroscopically, and their nature, formation, and electrochemistry were further examined by molecular orbital calculations at the B3LYP level of density functional theory.