Preparation and Properties of the Full Series of Cuboidal Clusters [MoxW4-xSe4(H2O)12]n+ (n = 4−6) and Their Derivatives

Heterometallic Re/Mo and Re/W cubane-type cluster complexes

A series of heterometallic Re/Mo and Re/W cubane-type cluster complexes were obtained. New cluster anions demonstrate a regular change in geometric characteristics and redox potentials depending on the composition of the cluster core.

Tungsten and molybdenum incomplete cuboidal clusters; kinetico-mechanistic studies and association in dimers

New triangular Mo(IV) and W(IV) incomplete cuboidal cluster complexes containing three η(2)-diethyldithiophosphates (dtp, one per metal centre) and a η(2)(μ)-AcO or η(2)(μ)-dtp ligand bridging two of these centres have been prepared as mono-substituted derivatives and characterized by the usual techniques plus single crystal X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis in some cases. In the compounds, the single substitutionally available unlocked position is coordinated to different N-donor ligands (1,2-bis(pyridyl)ethylene, pyrimidine, pyrazine) or to the residual solvent. The compounds are very labile and the N-donor ligands are only weakly coordinated, being easily substituted by other donors or coordinating solvents such as acetonitrile. This lability has been explored kinetico-mechanistically by stopped-flow techniques at varying temperatures for the compound [Mo3S4(η(2)-dtp)3(η(2)(μ)-dtp)(H2O)]. By doing so, the nature of the activation process leading to substitution reactions on these complexes has been established as associatively activated and dominated by a very low formation equilibrium constant, that is, by the substitution of the incoming N-donor ligand. Furthermore, the existence of a non-dissociatively activated trigonal 60° fluxional twist has also been established for the η(2)-dtp ligand on the single unlocked position. The lability of the system has also enabled the association in dimers of the acetato derivative, i.e. [Mo3S4(η(2)-dtp)3(η(2)(μ)-AcO)(H2O)], via a pyrazine bridging ligand. After a very careful tuning of the reaction conditions, as established from the kinetico-mechanistic studies, the first single-bridged unsupported dimeric association of {Mo3S4} units, i.e. [{Mo3S4(η(2)-dtp)3(η(2)(μ)-AcO)}2(μ-pyrazine)], has been structurally characterised.

Synthesis and molecular and electronic structures of a series of Mo3CoSe4 cluster complexes with three different metal electron populations

The synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetic properties of [Mo 3(CoCO)Se 4(dmpe) 3Cl 3] ( 1), [Mo 3(CoCl)Se 4(dmpe) 3Cl 3] ( 2), and [Mo 3(CoCl)Se 4(dmpe) 3Cl 3](TCNQ) ([ 2](TCNQ)) (dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphanyl)ethane; TCNQ = 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinomethane) cubane-type complexes with 16, 15, and 14 metal electrons, respectively, are reported. These compounds complete the series of cobalt-containing Mo 3CoQ 4 (Q = S, Se) cubane-type complexes, which allows a complete analysis of the consequences of replacing the inner chalcogen and the metal electron count on the structural, magnetic, and electrochemical properties. The experimental evidence is theoretically supported and rationalized on the basis of density-functional theory calculations. For the 15-metal electron [Mo 3(CoCl)Se 4(dmpe) 3Cl 3] complex with S = (1)/ 2, both electron paramagnetic resonance and theoretical studies give support to a spin density mainly located on the heteroatom. The nature of the highest occupied molecular orbital upon chalcogen exchange within the Mo 3CoQ 4 (Q = S, Se) series remains essentially unchanged, whereas the nature of the ligand attached to Co (Cl or CO) results in a different ordering of the molecular orbital scheme. This behavior is explained by the absence of backdonation between an occupied d orbital of Co to an empty pi* Cl orbital, to yield frontier orbitals that differ from those of previous models.

A combined stopped-flow, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and31P NMR study on the acetic acid-mediated fragmentation of the hydroxo-chalcogenide cluster [W3Se4(OH)3(dmpe)3]+(dmpe = 1,2-bis(dimethylphosphanyl)ethane) to yield the dinuclear [W2Se2(µ-Se)2(µ-CH3CO2)(dmpe)2]+complex

The reaction of the incomplete-cuboidal [W(3)Se(4)(OH)(3)(dmpe)(3)](+) ([1](+)) cluster with acetic acid in acetonitrile solution leads to cluster fragmentation with formation of the dinuclear [W(2)Se(2)(mu-Se)(2)(mu-CH(3)CO(2))(dmpe)(2)](+) ([2](+)) complex. The X-ray structure of [2]PF(6) presents two equivalent metal centres bridged by one acetate ligand. Each W atom is additionally coordinated by one terminal selenium atom, two bridging selenido and two diphosphane phosphorus atoms in an essentially octahedral environment. Stopped-flow and conventional UV-vis studies indicate that fragmentation of [1](+) into [2](+) occurs through a complex mechanism. Three steps can be distinguished in the stopped-flow time scale, all of them showing a first order dependence with respect to the acetic acid concentration, followed by very slow spectral changes that lead to the formation of [2](+). Phosphorus NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) have been used to identify the nature of the reaction intermediates formed in the different steps. These studies indicate that the first two steps correspond to the formal substitutions of the hydroxo ligands at two metal centres by terminal acetate ligands. The third step involves bridging of one of the terminal acetate ligands, which actually prepares the trinuclear cluster to afford the acetate-bridged [W(2)Se(2)(mu-Se)(2)(mu-CH(3)CO(2))(dmpe)(2)](+) ([2](+)) complex. Although the precise details of the final conversion to [2](+) have not been established, the results obtained by combination of the different experimental techniques provide a complete picture of the speciation of the cluster [1](+) in acetonitrile solutions containing acetic acid.