Photochemical synthesis and reactivity studies of dirhenacarboranes

Ultraviolet irradiation of [PPh(4)][closo-1-CB(8)H(9)] with [Re(2)(CO)(10)] in THF (tetrahydrofuran) at ambient temperature affords the dirhenacarborane anion [6,10-{Re(CO)(4)}-10-(micro-H)-6,6,6-(CO)(3)-closo-6,1-ReCB(8)H(8)]-, isolated as its [PPh(4)]+ salt (1). Further irradiation of 1 yields a second isomeric anion [6,10-{Re(CO)(4)}-6-(micro-H)-10,10,10-(CO)(3)-closo-10,1-ReCB(8)H(8)]- that was characterized as a [N(PPh(3))(2)]+ salt (2). Reaction of 1 with NOBF(4) produces the neutral dirhenacarborane compound [8,10-{Re(CO)(4)}-8,10-(micro-H)2-6,6-(CO)(2)-6-NO-closo-6,1-ReCB(8)H(7)] (3). Compounds 1-3 all consist of a central {closo-ReCB(8)} cluster with a second rhenium center which is exo-polyhedral. Attempts to substitute the carbonyl ligands of 3 with other donor ligands such as phosphines, isocyanides, or alkynes resulted in loss of the exo-polyhedral rhenium moiety and formation of a monorhenium anion, [6,6-(CO)(2)-6-NO-closo-6,1-ReCB(8)H(9)]-, isolated as its [N(PPh(3))(2)]+ salt (4). The heterometallic dimetallacarborane species, [6,7,10-{Cu(PPh(3))}-7,10-(micro-H)2-6,6-(CO)(2)-6-NO-closo-6,1-ReCB(8)H(7)] (5) and [6,7-{Au(PPh(3))}-7-(micro-H)-6,6-(CO)(2)-6-NO-closo-6,1-ReCB(8)H(8)] (6) were formed from reactions of 4 with {Cu(PPh(3))}+ and {Au(PPh(3))}+, respectively. Similarly, reaction of 4 with {Ir(CO)(PPh(3))(2)}+ afforded two products, [6,10-{Ir(micro-PPh(2))(Ph)(CO)(PPh(3))}-10-(micro-H)-6-CO-6-NO-closo-6,1-ReCB(8)H(8)] (7) and [6,9,10-{Ir(micro-PPh(2))(H)(PPh(3))}-9-(micro-H)-6-CO-6-NO-10-Ph-closo-6,1-ReCB(8)H(8)] (8). The solid-state structures of compounds 1-8 were all unequivocally established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction experiments.