Reactivity of tri- and tetra-nuclear ethylidyne cyclopentadienylcobalt clusters towards protonic acids

The bis(μ₃-ethylidyne) tricobalt cluster [(CpCo)₃(μ₃-CCH₃)₂] (1b) is protonated by trifluoroacetic acid to give the dicobalt edge-protonated cation [H(CpCo)₃(μ₃-CCH₃)₂]⁺ [lb + H]⁺. Protonation of the μ₃-ethylidyne tetracobalt cluster hydride [H(CpCo)₄(μ₃-CCH₃)] (3) takes place in two consecutive steps. At low temperature [H₂(CpCo)₄(μ₃-CCH₃)]⁺ [3 + H]⁺ is formed first, and is then slowly converted into [H₃(CpCo)₄(μ₃-CCH₃)]²⁺ [3 + 2H]²⁺ by an excess of acid. As judged by the ¹H NMR data and the crystal structure of [3 + X]⁺[(CF₃COO)₂X]⁻ (X = H or D) the endo hydrogens in [3 + H]⁺ and [3 + 2H]²⁺ occupy μ₃-(Co₃) face capping hydridic positions. The cations [1b + H]⁺ and [3 + H]⁺ show hydride fluxionality in solution, which in the case of [3 + H]⁺ can be frozen out on the NMR timescale at low temperature (ΔG ^≠ (203 K) = 40.8 kJ/mol). The structure of [3 + X]⁺ [(CF₃COO)₂X]⁻ (X = H or D) was determined by X-ray crystallography. One of the hydrides/deuterides is located on the crystallographic mirror plane, capping a tricobalt face of the cluster cation. The other endo hydrogen atom is believed to be disordered between the other two μ₃-(Co₃) sites, which are related by space group symmetry. Deuteronation of 3 shows a strong normal kinetic deuterium isotope effect. From the temperature independence of the ¹H NMR spectrum of [3 + 2D]²⁺ a non-fluxional solution structure can be inferred. In all the systems studied, hydridic (μ₂- or μ₃-) sites are thermodynamically preferred to possible isomeric agostic CoHC or Co₂HC sites for the endo hydrogens. Agostic interactions cannot, however, be ruled out in transient intermediates during the course of the protonations.