UNSATURATED MIXED-METAL COMPLEXES - SYNTHESES OF (ETA-C5ME5)NI-MO(CO3)3(ETA-C5H5), (ETA-C5ME5)NI-W(CO3)3(ETA-C5H5) AND X-RAY-DIFFRACTION STUDY OF (ETA-C5ME5)NI-W(CO)3(ETA-C5H4ME)

Mild thermolysis of (η-C5Me5)(CO)Ni–M(CO)3-(η-C5H5) (M = Mo, W) afforded the paramagnetic coordinatively unsaturated species (η-C5Me5)Ni–M(CO)3(η-C5H5). Irreversible decarbonylation to the tetrahedral clusters Ni2M2(CO)4(η-C5H5)2(η-C5Me5)2 occurred on prolonged heating. The compound (η-C5Me5)Ni–W(CO)3(η-C5H4Me) was characterized by an X-ray diffraction study: short nickel–tungsten distances of 2.475 (2) and 2.457 (2) Å for the two independent molecules in the unit cell indicate multiple Ni–W bond character. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.