LEWIS-BASE PROPERTIES OF THE HFE3(CO)9S- AND FE3(CO)9S2- CLUSTER ANIONS

The HFe//3(CO)//9S** minus and Fe//3(CO)//9S**2** minus anions left bracket prepared from H//2Fe//3(CO)//9S by deprotonation right bracket react with M(CO)//5(THF) (M equals Cr or W) to form the anionic 'capped' clusters, HFe//3(CO)//9SM(CO)//5** minus and Fe//3(CO)//9SM(CO)//5**2** minus , which can be isolated as their Et//4N slats. The M-S bonds of these complexes are cleaved by ligands such as PPh//3 or MeCN. The dianionic clusters are more stable than their monoanionic analogues. Alkylation of Fe//3(CO)//9S**2** minus with alkyl halides followed by protonation yields HFe//3(CO)//9SR complexes, among them the first member of the series with R equals Me. This work is pertinent to the desulfurization of organic compounds.