Reaction of the low-spin complex [Ni(dsdm)] with Fe 2 CO 9 results in the unique trinuclear cluster [Ni(dsdm){Fe(CO) 3 } 2 ]. NMR spectroscopy shows that the structure is diamagnetic, and, moreover, that the complex is stable in solution and C 2 -symmetric. The X-ray structure reveals short distances between the distorted octahedral nickel(II) ion and the two octahedral iron(0) centers. The observed diamagnetism is exIn recent years the discovery of organometallic-like fragments in the active sites of hydrogenase enzymes has given a new impetus to research pertaining to iron carbonyl chemistry. The active site of the enzyme extracted from D. gigas has been described as a heterodimetallic nickel-iron cluster in a sulfur-rich environment containing small diatomic CO or CN molecules coordinated to iron, [1] and the structure of the active site in the Fe-only hydrogenase isolated from D. desulfuricans comprises a diiron subcluster also containing CO and CN ligands.[2] Although few model compounds that properly match the active-site structure of [NiFe] hydrogenases have been reported, some do show various features of the metal coordination environment. [3Ϫ6] In spite of the research both in organometallic chemistry and in bioinorganic chemistry, the number of compounds containing both Ni and Fe bridged by a sulfur donor is rather limited. [7] Of bioinorganic interest among these are the Fe 3 Ni cubane clusters and Fe 4 S 4 clusters bridged to mononuclear nickel complexes, both cluster types being relevant to the active site in acetyl coenzyme-A synthase, [8,9] as well as a few heterodinuclear complexes relevant to the hydrogenase active site. [10] In the field of organometallic cluster chemistry a huge number of structures containing the (µ-S)-Fe 2 CO 6 fragment [a] have been reported. [11] This Fe 2 CO 6 fragment has recently gained renewed attention because of its importance in modeling the active site of Fe-only hydrogenases.[12] Research efforts by organometallic chemists have resulted in several complexes with a cyclopentadienylnickel unit bound to Fe(CO) 3 moieties. [13,14] The mononuclear compound [Ni(dsdm)] {H 2 dsdm ϭ [N,NЈ-dimethyl-N,NЈ-bis(2-sulfanylethyl)ethylenediamine]} is a nickel thiolate complex used in biomimetic studies of [NiFe] hydrogenases. [15] [Ni(dsdm)] contains two cis sulfur atoms which are particularly reactive towards dioxygen. Indeed, the oxidation of [Ni(dsdm)] with H 2 O 2 or O 2 leads to the fully oxidized [Ni(dsodm)(H 2 O) 2 ] complex in which nickel is coordinated to the sulfonato groups. [16,17] Moreover, [Ni(dsdm)] has also been used in attempts to synthesize thiolato-bridged nickel-iron complexes. The reaction of [Ni(dsdm)] with K[HFe(CO) 4 ] leads to [Fe(dsdm)Ni(CO) 3 ] 2 and involves the reduction of nickel() to nickel(0) followed by the coordination of the dsdm ligand to the iron(). [18] We present herein the reaction of [Ni(dsdm)] with Fe 2 CO 9 , which results in the formation of the novel trinuclear sulfur-bridged nickel-iron complex [Ni(dsdm){Fe(CO) 3 } 2 ], a di...