Linked triosmium cluster complexes containing thiolato-carboxylato ligands: the crystal and molecular structures of [{Os 3H(CO) 10} 2(μ-SC 6H 4CO 2)] and [{Os 3H(CO) 10} 2(μ-SCH 2CH 2CO 2)

Abstract

The triosmium cluster, [Os 3(CO) 10(CH 3CN) 2], reacts with the difunctional thiolate-carboxylate ligands, 2-mercaptobenzoic acid (H 2L 1), 3-mercaptopropanoic acid (H 2L 2) and 2,6-dicarboxypyridine (H 2L 3), to form the linked clusters, [{Os 3H(CO) 10} 2(μ-L)] (L = L 1, L 2 and L 3). The clusters have been fully characterised by spectroscopic means and the structures of two of them, [{Os 3H(CO) 10} 2(μ-L)] (L = L 1 and L 2), established by single crystal X-ray analyses. In both cases the osmiums form two triangles, with the carboxylate bridging one edge of one triangle and the sulphur that of a second.