Osmium, rhenium, and group 6 derivatives of bis(diphenylphosphino) alkane undecacarbonyl triosmium

The osmium compounds [Os3(CO)10PPh2(CH2)4PPh2]2 and [Os3(CO)10PPh2(CH2)6PPh2]2 have been synthesized from PPh2(CH2)nPPh2 and Os3(CO)10(MeCN)2. Spectroscopic evidence suggests the structure of each compound to be a dimer in which both phosphines of each of the bidentate PPh2(CH2)nPPh2 groups are bridged between adjacent osmium atoms on each of the osmium clusters. The bidentate phosphine bridged compounds Os3(CO)11PPh2(CH2)nPPh2M(CO)5 for M= Cr, Mo, and W (n = 1 - 6) have been synthesized from Os3(CO)11PPh2(CH2)nPPh2 and M(CO)5THF. Structural data indicates that the uncoordinated phosphine of Os3(CO)11PPh2(CH2)nPPh2 acts as a typical donor ligand to the electron deficient metal centre of the M(CO)5 unit.