Reactions of thioarsines with metal carbonyls: Synthesis and structural characterisation of [Fe2(CO)6(μ-AsMe2)(μ-SPh)], [Fe2Cp2(CO)2(μ-AsPh2)(μ-SPh)], [Mn2(CO)8(μ-AsPh2)(μ-SPh)]

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-328X(99)00206-5

The thioarsine, AsMe₂(SPh), reacts thermally with [Fe(CO)₅] to give the new bimetallic butterfly complex, [Fe₂(CO)₆(μ-AsMe₂)(μ-SPh)] (1). Similarly, thermolysis of the thioarsine AsPh₂(SPh) with [Fe₂Cp₂(CO)₄] and [Mn₂(CO)₁₀] affords, respectively [Fe₂Cp₂(CO)₂(μ-AsPh₂)(μ-SPh)] (2) and [Mn₂(CO)₈(μ-AsPh₂)(μ-SPh)] (3). At room temperature, AsPh₂(SPh) reacts rapidly with [Co₂(CO)₈] to yield the trimetallic product, [Co₃(μ₃-S)(μ-AsPh₂)(CO) ₆AsPh₃] (4). The crystal structures of these four products have been determined by X-ray crystallography. Arsenic-sulfur bond cleavage is a feature of all these reactions; concomitant arsenic-carbon bond formation is observed in the production of complex 4.