The stepwise hydrogenation of a nitrile group on an osmium cluster; the X-ray crystal structures of [H2Os3(µ3-NCH2CF3)(CO)9] and [H4Os3(µ3-NCH2CF3)(CO)8]

Abstract

An X-ray diffraction study of [H(µ₂-H)₃Os₃(µ₃-NCH₂CF₃)(CO)₈] is the first for a trinuclear cluster containing four metal-bound H atoms; this complex, together with [(µ₂-H)Os₃(µ₂NHCH₂CF₃)(CO)₁₀] and [(µ₂-H)₂Os₃(µ₃-NCH₂CF₃)(CO)₉(for which X-ray data are also presented), is obtained from the hydrogenation of CF₃CN on an Os₃ cluster, and a scheme for the mechanism of this hydrogenation is presented.