Polyhedral cobalt(II) and iron(II) siloxanes: synthesis and x-ray crystal structure of [(RSi(OH)O2)Co(OPMe3)]4 and [(RSiO3)2(RSi(OH)O2)4(mu3-OH)2Fe8(THF)4] (R = (2,6-iPr2C6H3)N(SiMe3))

The cobalt(II) and iron(II) siloxane compounds were prepared by the reaction of lipophilic N-bonded silanetriol 1 with metal silylamides MN(SiMe3)2]2 (M = Co (2), Fe (3)) in a 1:1 and 3:4 molar ratio, respectively. A plot of 1/chi versus temperature in the range of 2-300 K indicates the paramagnetic behavior of 2 and 3. The composition and molecular structures of 2 and 3 were fully determined by IR, elemental analysis, and X-ray crystal structural analyses. Compound 2 possesses a pseudo-4-fold (S4) symmetry, whereas 3 reveals an inversion center. Compound 2 represents a tetracobalt(II) drum while 3 exhibits an octairon(II) cage containing siloxane ligands.