Controlled cluster expansion at a Zintl cluster surface

Abstract

AbstractReaction of the tris‐hypersilyl nonagermanide Zintl cluster salt, K[Ge9(Hyp)3] (Hyp=Si(SiMe3)3) with [Rh(η2,η2‐L)Cl]2 (L=1,5‐cyclooctadiene, COD; norbornadiene, NBD) afforded eleven‐ and twelve‐vertex homo‐multimetallic clusters by cluster core expansion. Using a stepwise procedure, starting from the Zintl cluster [Rh(COD){Ge9(Hyp)3}] and [Ir(COD)Cl]2, this methodology was expanded for the synthesis of eleven‐vertex hetero‐multimetallic clusters. A mechanism for the formation of these first examples of closo eleven‐vertex Zintl clusters is proposed, informed by density functional theory calculations.