1465plane of the ring. The fold about the Cr--Cr line is 156 ° whereas the corresponding angle for the Cr2N 2 ring of eis- [(riS-CsHs)Cr(NO)NMe2]2 is 178 °. The greater puckering of the methoxo complex can be attributed to its less symmetrical pattern of steric strain, for the methoxo complex has methyl groups on only one side of the Cr20 2 ring and the dimethylamido complex has pairs of methyl groups above and below its Cr2N 2 ring.
--M', M--X, M--X--M', and X-M--X'lengths and angles of a central M2X 2 ring are not independent and the metal-metal separation must be considered in relation to the other dimensions of the ring. Since the single-bond covalent radii of S, sp3-N and O are ca 1.04, 0.71, and 0.66 A, the mean Cr-S, Cr--N, and Cr-O distances of 2.32, 2.01, and 1.96 A in the complexes [(r/5-CsHs)Cr(NO)X]2 are clearly consistent. The X--M--X' angles in the S-, N-and Obridged complexes are 101, 95, and 83 °, respectively, while the M--X--M' angles are 79, 84, and 95 °, respectively. The smaller X--M--X' angles in the dimethylamido and methoxo complexes serve to counterbalance to some extent the reductions in the Cr-Cr distance that would result from the replacement of the S atom in the Cr2S 2 fragment by the distinctly smaller N or O atoms. The appreciable difference between the ring angles in the dimethylamido and methoxo complexes, together with the concomitant difference in the Cr-Cr distance, is surprising, however.It has been noted that when the angle at the metal atom in an M2X 2 ring is obtuse and that at the bridging ligand is acute, the ring generally has a metal-metal bond and, conversely, when the ring lacks a metalmetal bond this arrangement of angles is reversed (Dahl, de Gil & Feltham, 1969; Connelly & Dahl, 1970; Simon & Dahl, 1973). If this test is applied to the [(r/5-CsHs)Cr(NO)X]2 complexes, the angular pattern suggests that the O-bridged complex differs from the Sand N-bridged complexes by lacking a direct metalmetal bond. Nevertheless, all these complexes are diamagnetic and metal-metal spin coupling must be a common feature. It is possible, of course, that superexchange interaction through the bridging ligands may be important in the methoxo complex.We thank Dr G. R. Knox for a sample of the complex and the Science Research Council for financial assistance. Am. Chem. Soc. 91, 1653-1664. HANDY, L. B., RUFF, J. K. & DAHL, L. F. (1970. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 92, 7312-7326. MCPHAIL, A. T. & SIM, G. A. (1968