Synthesis and X-ray characterization of the high-nuclearity [Rh17(µ3-CO)3-(µ-CO)15(CO)12]3– anion containing a tetracapped twinned cuboctahedral cluster

Abstract

The novel anion [Rh₁₇(CO)₃₀]^3–, which has been obtained by refluxing a mixture of Rh₄(CO)₁₂ and NaOH (OH^– : Rh, 1 : 5·5) in propan-2-ol, has been shown by X-ray crystallography to contain a cluster which is a fragment of a hexagonal close-packed structure (3 layers: 6/7/4) and is derived from the twinned cuboctahedron present in the anions [Rh₁₃H_{5 –n}(CO)₂₄]^n–, with the other four rhodium atoms capping square faces.