An organometallic approach to the synthesis of high nuclearity Mo-Fe-S clusters as potential models for the iron-molybdenum cofactor of nitrogenase

Syntheses and Characterization of gamma-[SiW(10)M(2)S(2)O(38)](6)(-) (M = Mo(V), W(V)). Two Keggin Oxothio Heteropolyanions with a Metal-Metal Bond

The oxothio polyanions gamma-[SiW(10)M(2)S(2)O(38)](6)(-) (M = Mo(V), W(V)) were obtained through stereospecific addition of the dication [M(2)S(2)O(2)](2+) (M = Mo, W) to the divacant gamma-[SiW(10)O(36)](8)(-) anion in dimethylformamide. These compounds were isolated as crystals and are stable in usual organic solvents and in aqueous medium from pH = 1 to pH = 7. NEt(4)Cs(3)H(2)[SiW(10)Mo(2)S(2)O(38)].6H(2)O (a gamma-isomer derived from the alpha Keggin structure capped by the [Mo(2)S(2)O(2)](2+) fragment containing a metal-metal bond) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P&onemacr; with a = 12.050(3) Å, b = 12.695(2) Å, c = 20.111(4) Å, alpha = 74.35(2) degrees, beta = 86.83(2) degrees, gamma = 63.50(2) degrees, Z = 2. NEt(4)Cs(5)[SiW(12)S(2)O(38)].7H(2)O is isostructural and crystallizes in the triclinic space group P&onemacr; with a = 12.197(4) Å, b = 12.714(3) Å, c = 20.298(3) Å, alpha = 74.75(1) Å, beta = 86.48(2) degrees, gamma = 61.80(2) degrees, Z = 2. (183)W NMR spectra of Li(+) salts in aqueous solution agree with the solid state structures and reveal 100% purity for both anions. Polarographic, infrared and UV-vis data are also given.

Synthesis and Chemical and Electrochemical Characterization of Fe-S Carbonyl Clusters. X-ray Crystal Structures of [N(PPh(3))(2)](2)[Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)] and [N(PPh(3))(2)](2)[Fe(6)S(6)(CO)(12)]

A reinvestigation of the redox behavior of the [Fe(3)(&mgr;(3)-S)(CO)(9)](2)(-) dianion led to the isolation and characterization of the new [Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)](2)(-), as well as the known [Fe(6)S(6)(CO)(12)](2)(-) dianion. As a corollary, new syntheses of the [Fe(3)S(CO)(9)](2)(-) dianion are also reported. The [Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)](2)(-) dianion has been obtained by oxidative condensation of [Fe(3)S(CO)(9)](2)(-) induced by tropylium and Ag(I) salts or SCl(2), or more straightforwardly through the reaction of [Fe(4)(CO)(13)](2)(-) with SCl(2). The [Fe(6)S(6)(CO)(12)](2)(-) dianion has been isolated as a byproduct of the synthesis of [Fe(3)S(CO)(9)](2)(-) and [Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)](2)(-) or by reaction of [Fe(4)(CO)(13)](2)(-) with elemental sulfur. The structures of [N(PPh(3))(2)](2)[Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)] and [N(PPh(3))(2)](2)[Fe(6)S(6)(CO)(12)] were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Crystal data: for [N(PPh(3))(2)](2)[Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)], monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c (No. 14), a = 24.060(5), b = 14.355(6), c = 23.898(13) Å, beta = 90.42(3) degrees, Z = 4; for [N(PPh(3))(2)](2)[Fe(6)S(6)(CO)(12)], monoclinic, space group C2/c (No. 15), a = 34.424(4), b = 14.081(2), c = 19.674(2) Å, beta = 115.72(1) degrees, Z = 4. The new [Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)](2)(-) dianion shows a "bow tie" arrangement of the five metal atoms. The two Fe(3) triangles sharing the central Fe atom are not coplanar and show a dihedral angle of 55.08(3) degrees. Each Fe(3) moiety is capped by a triply bridging sulfide ligand. The 14 carbonyl groups are all terminal; two are bonded to the unique central atom and three to each peripheral iron atom. Protonation of the [Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)](2)(-) dianion gives reversibly rise to the corresponding [HFe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)](-) monohydride derivative, which shows an (1)H-NMR signal at delta -21.7 ppm. Its further protonation results in decomposition to mixtures of Fe(2)S(2)(CO)(6) and Fe(3)S(2)(CO)(9), rather than formation of the expected H(2)Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14) dihydride. Exhaustive reduction of [Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)](2)(-) with sodium diphenyl ketyl progressively leads to fragmentation into [Fe(3)S(CO)(9)](2)(-) and [Fe(CO)(4)](2)(-), whereas electrochemical, as well as chemical oxidation with silver or tropylium tetrafluoroborate, in dichloromethane, generates the corresponding [Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)](-) radical anion which exhibits an ESR signal at g = 2.067 at 200 K. The electrochemical studies also indicated the existence of a subsequent one-electron anodic oxidation which possesses features of chemical reversibility in dichloromethane but not in acetonitrile solution. A reexamination of the electrochemical behavior of the [Fe(3)S(CO)(9)](2)(-) dianion coupled with ESR monitoring enabled the spectroscopic characterization of the [Fe(3)S(CO)(9)](-) radical monoanion and demonstrated its direct involvement in the generation of the [Fe(5)S(2)(CO)(14)](n)()(-) (n = 0, 1, 2) system.