The linkage isomers [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(1,5-MeN(4)C)](+) and [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(2,5-MeN(4)C)](+) were generated upon reaction of tetrabutylammonium azide with the corresponding acetonitrile complex, [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(NCCH(3))](2+); these are the first (tetrazolato)rhenium complexes reported to date.

A systematic substitution of the terminal chlorides coordinated to the hexanuclear cluster [Re(6)S(8)Cl(6)](4-) has been conducted. The following complexes: [Re(6)S(8)(PEt(3))Cl(5)](3-) (1), cis- (cis-2) and trans-[Re(6)S(8)(PEt(3))(2)Cl(4)](2-) (trans-2), mer- (mer-3) and fac-[Re(6)S(8)(PEt(3))(3)Cl(3)](-) (fac-3), and cis- (cis-4) and trans-[Re(6)S(8)(PEt(3))(4)Cl(2)] (trans-4) were synthesized and fully characterized. Compared to the substitution of the halide ligands of the related [Re(6)S(8)Br(6)](4-) and [Re(6)Se(8)I(6)](3-) clusters, the chloride ligands are slower to substitute which allowed us to prepare the first monophosphine cluster (1). In addition, the synthesis of fac-3 was optimized by using cis-2 as the starting material, which led to a significant increase in the overall yield of this isomer. Notably, we observed evidence of phosphine isomerization taking place during the preparation of the facial isomer; this was unexpected based on the relatively inert nature of the Re-P bond. The structures of Bu(4)N(+) salts of trans-2, mer-3, and fac-3 were determined using X-ray crystallography. All compounds display luminescent behavior. A study of the photophysical properties of these complexes includes measurement of the excited state lifetimes (which ranged from 4.1-7.1 μs), the emission quantum yields, the rates of radiative and non-radiative decay, and the rate of quenching with O(2). Quenching studies verify the triplet state nature of the excited state.

Two hexanuclear rhenium clusters containing azide ligands, [Re6Se8(PEt3)5(N3)]BF4 and [Re6Se8(PEt3)4(N3)2], were synthesized from the analogous pyridine complexes and fully characterized. Studies show that [Re6Se8(PEt3)5(N3)]BF4 reacts with activated alkynes, dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and methyl 4-hydroxyhex-2-yneoate, to form the triazolate cluster complexes [Re6Se8(PEt3)5(L1 or L2)]BF4 (where L1 = 4,5-bis(methoxycarbonyl)-1,2,3-triazol-2-yl and L2 = 4-methoxycarbonyl-5-(1-propanol)-1,2,3-triazol-2-yl). The bis-triazolato complex, cis-[Re6Se8(PEt3)4(L1)2] was also prepared via a similar reaction starting with cis-[Re6Se8(PEt3)4(N3)2] demonstrating that these clusters can promote two azide moieties to undergo heterocyclic ring formation. The structures of [Re6Se8(PEt3)5(N3)]BF4, [Re6Se8(PEt3)4(N3)2], and [Re6Se8(PEt3)5(L1)](BF4), were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, studies involving the alkylation of [Re6Se8(PEt3)5(L1)]BF4 with benzyl bromide and methyl iodide are reported.

The preparation of two new families of hexanuclear rhenium cluster complexes containing benzonitrile and phenyl-substituted tetrazolate ligands is described. Specifically, we report the preparation of a series of cluster complexes with the formula [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)L](2+) where L = benzonitrile, p-aminobenzonitrile, p-methoxybenzonitrile, p-acetylbenzonitrile, or p-nitrobenzonitrile. All of these complexes undergo a [2 + 3] cycloaddition with N(3)(-) to generate the corresponding [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(5-(p-X-phenyl)tetrazol-2-yl)](+) (or [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(2,5-p-X-phenyltetrazolate)](+)) cluster complexes, where X = NH(2), OMe, H, COCH(3), or NO(2). Crystal structure data are reported for three compounds: [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(p-acetylbenzonitrile)](BF(4))(2)•MeCN, [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(2,5-phenyltetrazolate)](BF(4))•CH(2)Cl(2), and [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(2,5-p-aminophenyltetrazolate)](BF(4)). Treatment of [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(2,5-phenyltetrazolate)](BF(4)) with HBF(4) in CD(3)CN at 100 °C leads to protonation of the tetrazolate ring and formation of [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(CD(3)CN)](2+). Surprisingly, alkylation of the phenyl and methyl tetrazolate complexes ([Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(2,5-N(4)CPh)](BF(4)) and [Re(6)Se(8)(PEt(3))(5)(1,5-N(4)CMe)](BF(4))) with methyl iodide and benzyl bromide, leads to the formation of mixtures of 1,5- and 2,5-disubstituted tetrazoles.

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