The use of chalcogens for the stabilization of transition metal carbonyl compounds is well established for cluster growth reactions. Although this strategy has been extensively employed using lighter congeners S and Se, the utility of tellurium containing complexes in cluster growth processes has been little explored. This presentation highlights the role of ditelluride ligands in cluster formation and subsequent stabilisation.Mononuclear metal carbonyls with diferrocenylditelluride ligand lead to the formation of electroactive diferrocenylditelluride coordinated metal carbonyl complexes, whose interconversion has been shown under varying reaction conditions. The diferrocenylditelluride upon treatment with FcC4Fc and PhC2H in reducing environment undergoes Te-Te bond cleavage and yields a multifunctional organotellurium ligands, (Z)-1-ferrocenyltelluro-1-ferrocenyl-4-ferrocenyl-1-buten-3-yne and phenylethynyl ferrocenyl telluride. The promising character of these ligands in cluster growth is due to its ability to interact with metal system through tellurium lone pair as well as through C-C ?- system. The facile cleavage of Te-C bond also renders this ligand to be an important reagent for the stabilisation of high nuclearity clusters. Moreover, presence of ferrocenyl and phenyl groups also offers additional features as orthometalation of ferrocene and phenyl may afford unusual products. By exploring these unique binding features of (Z)-1-ferrocenyltelluro-1-ferrocenyl-4-ferrocenyl-1-buten-3-yne ligand, synthesis of range of bi- and tri-metallic iron carbonyl clusters have been demonstrated from its reaction with Fe(CO)5.

Organotellurium ligands (diferrocenylditelluride, phenylethynyl ferrocenyl telluride, (Z)-1-ferrocenyltelluro-1-ferrocenyl-4-ferrocenyl-1-buten-3-yne) in cluster growth reactions with metal carbonyls

248th National Meeting (2014)

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