The redox properties of the clusters Ru.-.,(CO)I? (1), Ru3(lx-H)(g3-rll:q2:rl2-C2Fc)(CO)9 (2), Os3(g-H)(t.t3-rll:~12:'q2-C2Fc)(CO)9 (3), Ru,~(la-H)(tx4-rli:atl:rli:rl2-C2Fc)(CO)t2 (4), and RuOs3(p,-H)(g4-~11:rll:rl~:rl2-C2Fc)(CO)12 (5) in THF have been studied by cyclic voltammetry in the lemperature range from -60 to +20 ~ It was demonstrated that reversible oneelectron oxidation of the ferrocenyl fragment in clusters 2--5 occurs at more positive potentials (As ~ = 0.15--0.26 V) than that of free ferrocene. This is indicative of the electron-withdrawing character of the cluster core with respect to the ferrocenylacetylide iigand. The electron-withdrawing effect of the metal core is more pronounced in tetranuclear clusters 4 and 5 than in trinuclear clusters 2 and 3. Unlike complexes I--3, which undergo irreversible reduction, complexes 4 and 5 undergo reversible one-electron reduction to form the corresponding radical anions 4"-and 5"-Key words: ruthenium clusters, o~mium clusters, osmium--ruthenium mixed clusters: ferrecenylacetytide ligand; cyclic voltammetw.It is known that polydentate coordination of hydrocarbon moieties to several metal centers of transitionmetal clusters has a pronounced effect on their reactivities. t Thus, under mild conditions, hydrocarbon ligands in acetylene and ethylene derivatives of the carbonyl clusters of metals add not only N-and P-nucleophiles 2,3 but uncharged C-nucleophiles as well. 4,5 It is evident that studies of the mutual electronic effect of the hydrocarbon ligands and the metal core in the clusters is of interest for an understanding of both the increased reactivities of these ligands and conversions of hydrocarbon substrates on the surface of heterogeneous catalysts. It is also known that because ferrocene cart oxidize reversibly, the ferrocene-ferricenium system is a very. sensitive indicator for studying the electronic properties of the substituents in the cycIopentadienyl ring as well as for estimating the degree of electronic interactions of different redox centers, which are present in a single molecule. 6,7 Therefore, studies of the redox properties of ferrocene-containing clusters is of obvious interest. In principle, the electronic interaction between two centers of one molecule should be accompanied by a change in the redox properties of these centers. 7 These data are most convenient to obtain by cyclic voltammetry.Therefore, in this work we studied the redox behavior of ruthenium carbonyl Ru3(CO)I 2 (1), its ferrocenylacetylide derivative, namely, the trinuclear Ru3(~t-H)(i.t3-ql:@:rl2-C2Fc)(CO)9 cluster (2), 8,9 the triosmium analog Os3(I.t-H)(/.t3-rll:rl2:rl2-C2Fc)(CO)9 (3), 9A~ and the tetranuclear clusters with a "butterfly" core, Ru4(P.-H)(~4-rl t:rl t:.q t :q2_C2Fc)(CO ) 12 (4) l 1,1z and RuOs3(la_ H)(g4_rl t:r 1 l:r 1 t:q?_C2Fc)(CO) t2 (5). 11,1Z These compounds contain two redox-active centers, namely, the metal, core and the ferrocene unit, and are convenient models for studying the redistribution of the electron density upon coordination of acetyl...