Metal Atoms in the Synthesis of Metal Clusters, VIII.On the Reaction of Sterically Demanding Cyclopentadiene Ligands with Cobalt Atoms: Synthesis, Crystal Structure, Spectroscopic Behavior, and Reactivity of Di-, Tri- and Tetranuclear Hydrido Clusters of Cobalt

Abstract

The metal-vapor reactions of Co atoms with 1,3-tBu2CpH (1a), 1,3-tBu2CpH (1a), 1,2,4-tBu3CpH (1b) and EtMe4CpH (1c) are described. With 1a the two mononuclear complexes [(η5-tBu2Cp) (η4-tBu2-1,3-cyclopentadiene)Co] (2a) and [(η5-tBu2Cp)2Co] (3a) were isolated, together with the dinuclear cobalt cluster [{(η5-tBu2Cp)Co}2H3] (4a) and trace amounts of the tetranuclear cluster [{(η5-tBu2Cp)CoH}4] (5a). The molecular structures of 3a and 4a were determined by X-ray diffraction. Reaction of 1b with Co atoms afforded a single product, the dinuclear cluster [{(η5-tBu3Cp)Co}2H3] (4b), whose molecular structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both, 4a and 4b exhibit extremely short Co-Co distances [2.244(1) (4a) and 2.242(1) A (4b)], as found for the Me5Cp analog [{(η5-Me5Cp)Co}2H3] (4c). Reaction of an isomeric mixture of Me4EtCpH (1c) with Co atoms furnished the mononuclear sandwich [ (η5-Me4EtCp)(η4-Me4Et-1,3- cyclopentadiene)Co] (2b), the trinuclear hydridocobalt cluster [{(η5-Me4EtCp)Co}3H4] (6a) and the tetranuclear hydridocobalt cluster [{(η5-Me4EtCp)Co}4H4] (5c). The molecular structure of 5c was determined by X-ray crystallography and revealed a tetrahedral arrangement of the cobalt atoms. The electrochemical behavior of the dinuclear complexes 4a-4c was studied by cyclic voltammetry. Reversible redox couples were found for all three compounds, with a correlation between the degree of alkyl substitution and their respective cathodic shifts. Compounds 4a and 4b react with CO to yield the mononuclear and dinuclear complexes [ (η5- CpR)Co(CO)2] (R1,3-tBu2, 1,2,4-tBu3) (7a and 7b) as well as [{(η5-CpR)CO}2(CO)2] (8a and 8b). Reaction of the trinuclear hydridocobalt cluster 6a and its Me5Cp analog 6b with AgBF4 in the presence of PEt3 yielded the heteronuclear clusters [{η5-Me4CPR)Co}3AgP(Et)3H4]+[BF4]− (REt, Me) (9a and 9b). 9a was structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography.