The use of half-sandwich iridium dithiolate and diselenolate complexes, Cp*Ir(L)(ER)2 (L=CO, PMe3, PPh3; ER=SPh, SePh, SeMe), for the synthesis of heterodimetallic compounds. The molecular structure of Cp*Ir(CO)(μ-SePh)2[Mo(CO)4]

Carbonyl–iridium half-sandwich compounds, Cp*Ir(CO)(EPh)₂ (E=S, Se), were prepared by the photo-induced reaction of Cp*Ir(CO)₂ with the diphenyl dichalcogenides, E₂Ph₂, and used as neutral chelating ligands in carbonylmetal complexes such as Cp*Ir(CO)(μ-EPh)₂Cr(CO)₄], Cp*Ir(CO)(μ-EPh)₂Mo(CO)₄] and Cp*Ir(CO)(μ-EPh)₂Fe(CO)₃], respectively. A trimethylphosphane–iridium analogue, Cp*Ir(PMe₃)(μ-SeMe)₂Cr(CO)₄], was also obtained. The new heterodimetallic complexes were characterized by IR and NMR spectroscopy, and the molecular geometry of Cp*Ir(CO)(μ-SePh)₂Mo(CO)₄] has been determined by a single crystal X-ray structure analysis. According to the long Ir…Mo distance (395.3(1) Å), direct metal–metal interactions appear to be absent.