Tri-bridged amidinato compounds of dicobalt 1: Co-2[PhNC(R)NPh](3) with R=H and C6H5

The preparation of two compounds in which a Co-2(3+) core is supported by three bridging amidinato anions is reported. These compounds are Co-2(DPhF)(3) (1) and Co-2(DPhBz)(3) (2), where DPhF and DPhBz represent [HC(NPh)(2)](-) and [PhC(NPh)(2)](-). These dinuclear species are made from the CoCl2(HDPhF)(2) and CoCl2(HDPhBz)(2) complexes by first reducing them with 0.5 equivalent of NaEt(3)BH and then deprotonating with C4H9Li. Crystallographic data for 1 . 0.5tol are as follows: space group <P(1)over bar>, a = 11.312(2), b = 12.216(1), c = 14.1680(9) Angstrom, alpha = 110.700(9), beta = 91.860(9), gamma = 95.770(9)degrees, V = 1817.3(4) Angstrom(3) and Z = 2.