Characterization of 1:1 heterobimetallic complexes of (η 5-C 5Me 5)Ir(CO) 2 with zinc, cadmium and mercury(II) chloride and the X-ray structure determination of the 1:2 mercury complex

Abstract

(η 5-C 5Me 5)Ir(CO) 2 reacts with ZnCl 2, CdCl 2 or HgCl 2, to produce the heterobimetallic complexes (η 5-C 5Me 5)(CO) 2IrMCl 2 (M  Zn ( 1), Cd ( 2), Hg ( 3a)) and [(η 5-C 5Me 5)(CO) 2IrHgCl][HgCl 3] ( 3b). The X-ray crystal structure of 3b shows that the iridium atom adopts a three-legged piano stool coordination geometry, with two terminal CO ligands and an unbridged nearly linear, IrHgCl group (IrHg(1) = 2.587(1) Å and IrHg(1)-Cl(1) = 172.1(2)°). The [HgCl 3] - anion is linked by Hg(2) to the Cl(1) atom of the cation (Hg(2) … Cl(1) 2.914(6) Å) and through Cl(3) to the Hg(1) atom of a neighboring symmetry-related cation with Hg(1) … Cl(3) 3.011(5) Å.