Several [Co−Co]−alkyne adducts
[Co2(CO)6)(μ-η2,η2-HOCR1R2-C⋮C−CR1R2OH)]
were
prepared (R1 = R2 = H (1);
R1 = H, R2 = CH3
(2); R1 = R2 = CH3
(3)) and their X-ray molecular
structures determined, showing that the μ-alkyne unit adopts a
specific geometry depending
on the nature of the alkyne unit. The prochiral
[Mo−Co]−alkyne adduct
[CpMoCo(CO)5(μ-η2,η2-HOCH2−C⋮C−CH2OH)]
(4), identified by X-ray analysis, was obtained from
[Co2(CO)6)(μ-η2,η2-HOCH2−C⋮C−CH2OH)]
(1) via replacement of a −Co(CO)3 vertex
by the
isolobal moiety −CpMo(CO)2. Complex
4 reacts with aqueous HBF4 to produce the
dicationic
tetranuclear species
[{CpMoCo(CO)5(μ-η2,η3-CH2−C⋮C−CH2-)}2O][BF4]2
(5), which reacts
further with nucleophiles to give a new dicationic tetranuclear species
[{CpMoCo(CO)5(μ-η2,η2-Nu1−CH2−C⋮C−CH2−)}2O][BF4]2
(Nu1 = pyridine (6), 3-picoline
(7), triphenylphosphine (8)), where the nucleophile has been introduced to the
carbenium center (−CH2
+).
Subsequent treatment of these dications in acidic medium produces
the carbenium ions
[CpMoCo(CO)5(μ-η2,η3-Nu1−CH2−C⋮C−CH2)][BF4]2
(Nu1 = pyridine (9), 3-picoline
(10),
triphenylphosphine (11)), which further react with
nucleophile Nu2 to produce dications
[CpMoCo(CO)5(μ-η2,η2-Nu1−CH2−C⋮C−CH2−Nu2)][BF4]2
{Nu1 = Nu2 = pyridine (13);
Nu1
= pyridine, Nu2 = triphenylphosphine (14);
Nu1 = Nu2 = triphenylphosphine
(15); Nu1 =
Nu2 = 3-picoline (16); Nu1 =
pyridine = Nu2 = 3-picoline (17)). This
synthetic approach is
unprecedented because it allows the placement of the same or different
types of nucleophiles
in a stepwise fashion at the two terminal carbon atoms of the
acetylenic complex, yielding,
for instance, the chiral dicationic [Mo−Co] cluster
[CpMoCo(CO)5(μ-η2,η2-C6H5N−CH2−C⋮C−CH2−NC6H4(CH3))][BF4]2
(17). The X-ray molecular structures of 13,
16, and 17 belonging
to this family were determined, including the first chiral [Mo−Co]
complex (17) possessing
two different functional groups. Further, the structure shows that
the coordinated
functionalized alkyne can adopt a specific geometry, whereby the two
positively functionalized
groups are situated on the same side of the cluster unit, available to
bind molecules of opposite
charge.