Ligand Substitution Reactions at the Nickel of [Mo(3)NiS(4)(H(2)O)(10)](4+) with Two Water Soluble Phosphines, CO, Br(-), I(-), and NCS(-) and the Inertness of the 1,4,7-Triazacyclononane (L) Complex [Mo(3)(NiL)S(4)(H(2)O)(9)](4+)

Comparisons (25 degrees C) are made of substitution reactions, X replacing H(2)O, at the tetrahedral Ni of the heterometallic sulfido cuboidal cluster Mo(3)NiS(4)(H(2)O)(10)](4+), I = 2.00 M (LiClO(4)). Stopped-flow formation rate constants (k(f)/M(-)(1) s(-)(1)) for six X reagents, including two water soluble air-stable phosphines, 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane PTA (119) and tris(3-sulfonatophenyl)phosphine TPPTS(3)(-) (58), and CO (0.66), Br(-) (14.6), I(-) (32.3), and NCS(-) (44) are reported alongside the previous value for Cl(-) (9.4). A dependence on H(+)] is observed with PTA, which gives an unreactive form confirmed by NMR as N-protonated PTA (acid dissociation constant K(a) = 0.61 M), but in no other cases with H(+)] in the range 0.30-2.00 M. The narrow spread of rate constants for all but the CO reaction is consistent with an I(d) dissociative interchange mechanism. In addition NMR studies with H(2)(17)O enriched solvent are too slow for direct determination of the water-exchange rate constant indicating a value <10(3) s(-)(1). Equilibrium constants/M(-)(1) for 1:1 complexing with the different X groups at the Ni are obtained for PTA (2040) and TPPTS(3)(-) (8900) by direct spectrophotometry and from kinetic studies (k(f)/k(b)) for Cl(-) (97), Br(-) (150), NCS(-) (690), and CO (5150). No NCS(-) substitution at the Ni is observed in the case of the heterometallic cube Mo(3)Ni(L)S(4)(H(2)O)(9)](4+), with tridentate 1,4,7-triazacyclononane(L) coordinated to the Ni. Substitution of NCS(-) for H(2)O, at the Mo's of Mo(3)NiS(4)(H(2)O)(10)](4+) and Mo(3)(NiL)S(4)(H(2)O)(9)](4+) are much slower secondary processes, with k(f) = 2.7 x 10(-)(4) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) and 0.94 x 10(-)(4) M(-)(1) s(-)(1) respectively. No substitution of H(2)O by TPPTS(3)(-) or CO is observed over approximately 1h at either metal on Mo(3)FeS(4)(H(2)O)(10)](4+), on Mo(4)S(4)(H(2)O)(12)](5+) or Mo(3)S(4)(H(2)O)(9)](4+).