Binuclear complexes of rhodium(I) bridged by 1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane-1,2-dichalcogenolato ligands:: Molecular structures of the complexes [Rh2(COD)2μ2-E2C2(B10H10))] [E=S, Se] and [Rh2(COD)4μ2-S2C2(B10H10))]

Four new dichalcogenolate carborane bridged binuclear rhodium(l) complexes [Rh-2(COD)(2)(mu(2)-E-2-C-2(B10H10))] [COD = cycloocta-1,5-diene (C8H12), E = S (2a), Se (2b)] and [Rh-2(CO)(2)(mu(2)-E2C2(B10H10))] [E = S (3a), Se (3b)] have been prepared by the reactions of the dilithium dichalcogenolate carboranes Li2E2C2B10H10 (E = S, Se) with [Rh(COD)Cl](2) or [Rh(CO)(2)Cl](2), respectively. The complexes have been fully characterized by H-1, C-13, B-11 NMR and IR spectroscopy as well as by element analyses. The molecular structures of 2a, 2b and 3a have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, which show the strong metal-metal interaction between two rhodium atoms. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.