Metal Telluride Clusters Composed of Niobocene Carbonyl, Telluride, and Cobalt Carbonyl Units: Syntheses, Structures, and Reactivity

Abstract: The reaction of [Cp#2NbTe2H] (1#; Cp# = Cp* (C5Me5) or Cp(x) (C5Me4Et)) with two equivalents of [Co2(CO)8] gives a series of cobalt carbonyl telluride clusters that contain different types of niobocene carbonyl fragments. At 0 degrees C, [Cp#2NbTe2CO3(CO)7] (2#) and [Co4Te2(CO)10] (3) are formed which disappear at higher temperatures: in boiling toluene a mixture of [cat2][Co9Te6(CO)8] (5#) (cat= [Cp#2Nb(CO)2]+) and [cat2][Co11Te7(CO)10] (6#) is formed along with [cat][Co(CO)4] (4#). Complexes 6# transform into [cat][Co11Te7(CO)10] (7#) upon interaction with HPF6 or wet SiO2. The molecular structures of 2(Cp(x)), 4(Cp(x)), 5(Cp*), 6(Cp*) and 7(Cp*) have been determined by X-ray cr…