Giant metal-cyanide coordination clusters: tetracapped edge-bridged cubic Cr(12)Ni(12)(CN)(48) and double face-centered cubic Cr(14)Ni(13)(CN)(48) species

The crystal structures of two new metal-cyanide clusters with record high nuclearities are reported. A direct assembly reaction involving (Me(3)tacn)Cr(CN)(3)] (Me(3)tacn = N,N',N"-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane), NiI(2), and KCN in aqueous solution affords (Me(3)tacn)(12)Cr(12)Ni(12)(CN)(48)](12+). The structure of this 24-metal cluster features a cube of eight Cr(III) centers linked along the edges by 12 trans-coordinated Ni(CN)(4)](2)(-) units, and capped on four faces by (Me(3)tacn)Cr](3+) moieties. Its metal-cyanide cage encloses a 900 A(3) cavity that is accessible through the two noncapped cube faces. A still larger cluster, (Me(3)tacn)(14)Cr(14)Ni(13)(CN)(48)](20+), was obtained from a related reaction excluding the addition of KCN. This 27-metal species possesses a highly anisotropic geometry in which two face-centered cubic units are fused through a common Ni(II) vertex.