The Thermal Reaction of the Tris(μ-Hydrido)-Dodecacarbonyltrirhenium (o) Cluster with Triphenylphosphine and Triphenylphosphite

The thermal reaction between the tris(μ-hydrido)dodecacarbonyltrirhenium (o) cluster and triphenylphosphine or triphenylphosphite results in a trisubstituted rhenium cluster as the major product. The results of an X-ray structural analysis of H₃Re₂(CO)₉(PPh₃) are: Mr=1597.57, Monoclinic, P₂₁/n, a=15.598(1), b=9.530(2), c=41.685(3) Å, β=80.60(1)°, V=6113.(1) ų, Z=4, D_c=1.736 g/cm³, CuK_e, λ-1.54056 Å, μ-121.23 cm^?1, F(000)=3059.17, room temperature, R=0.049 for 7361 reflections with I≥2.5σ(I). The molecule has a triangular Re₂ core coordinated propellerwise by three PPh₃ ligands in the molecular plane with virtual C_3k symmetry.