Chemistry of triangulo and linear triosmium cyclopentadienyl cluster compounds: the X-ray structures of [OS3(CO)10(η5-C5H5)Cl] and [OS3(CO)8(η5-C5H5)(µ-Cl)]

Abstract

The cationic triangulo-complex [Os₃(CO)₁₀(η⁵-C₅H₅)][BF₄] reacts with X^–(X = H, Cl) to afford linear triosmium cluster compounds, [Os₃(CO)₁₀(η⁵-C₅H₅)X], characterised by X-ray crystallography for X = Cl; on heating [Os₃(CO)₁₀-(η⁵-C₅H₅)Cl] is converted into the triangulo-cluster [OS₃(CO)₈(η⁵-C₅H₅)(µ-Cl)] which, on the basic of an X-ray analysis, contains an unusually short chloride-bridged osmium–osmium distance.