Oxo ligands as assembling units in mixed-metal cluster chemistry: Synthesis and X-ray structure of the bow-tie cluster [Mo2Ru3(μ3-O)2(μ3-CPh)(μ-C3Ph3)(CO)8(η-C5H5)2]

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-328X(96)06834-9

The thermal reaction of [Mo₂(O)(μ-O)(μ-C₄Ph₄)(η-C₅H₅)₂] with [Ru₃(CO)₁₂] gives the pentanuclear cluster [Mo₂Ru₃(μ₃-O)₂(μ₃-CPh)(μ-C₃Ph₃)(CO)₈(η-C₅H₅)₂], which has been crystallographically characterised. The compound displays several unusual features: (i) a highly distorted bow-tie structure in which the two metal triangles are virtually perpendicular; (ii) the cleavage of the initial four carbon chain into a dimetalla-allyl fragment and an alkylidyne group; (iii) the presence of two triply-bridging oxo ligands; and (iv) the coordination of one of the phenyl groups of the C₃Ph₃ ligand to ruthenium.