Tetrahedral cluster compounds

The tetrahedral cluster compounds can be synthesized by three methods (1) reaction of the monohalides EX (X = Cl, Br, I) with alkyllithium or Grignard reagents, (2) reduction of suitable organoelement halides of trivalent aluminum, gallium or indium, and (3) thermolysis of R2E-ER2 compounds. 

The tetrahedral cluster compounds show an unprecedented chemical reactivity which led to the syntheses of a broad variety of fascinating products [59]. Some of these will be discussed in the Chapters 3.5. Only a short summary will be given here. 

Exploratory solid state synthesis seems to be the only workable route to new phases because of a general inability to predict relative phase stabilities and thence structures or compositions , published in K4La6li40s A new Structure Type for Rare-Earth-Metal Cluster Compounds that Contain Discrete Tetrahedral K4l Units. S. Uma, J.D. Corbett, Inorg. Chem. 1999, 38, 3831-3835. 

The 2 1 species are known as cuprates and are the most common synthetic reagents. Disubstituted Cu(I) species have the 3c 10 electronic configuration and would be expected to have linear geometry. The Cu is a center of high electron density and nucleophilicity, and in solution, lithium dimethylcuprate exists as a dimer [LiCu(CH3)2]2.3 The compound is often represented as four methyl groups attached to a tetrahedral cluster of lithium and copper atoms. However, in the presence of Lil, the compound seems to be a monomer of composition (CH3)2CuLi.4... 

A much more subtle case of stabilisation due to the presence of face-bridging ligands is found in the two tetrahedral clusters Co4Cp4(p3-H)4 (dec. ca. 300 °C)134> and Ni4Cp4(p3-H)3 (dec. ca. 320 °C)133h The structure of the last compound is shown in Fig. 2. 

K4Ge4, can be described as a polyanionic compound (as a Zintl phase also) containing the ion Ge44. This tetrahedral ion can be considered a naked (that is without any ligands bounded to the vertices) tetrahedral cluster formed by a main group element (that is Ee = 5 3 = 5X4 = 20). The electron count, on the basis of the Ge valence electrons and of the ion charge results in Ee = 4 X 4 + 4 = 20. 

X-ray crystallography, 40 20-21 synthetic models, 40 23-48 xanthane oxidase, 40 21-23 chalcogenide halides, 23 370-377, 413 Chevrel phases, 23 376-377 metal-metal bonding, 23 330, 373 structural data, 23 373-376 as superconductors, 23 376 synthesis, 23 371-372 chloride, 46 4-24, 35-44 heterocations of, 9 290, 291 cluster compounds, 44 45-46 octahedral, 44 47-49, 53-63 electronic structure, 44 55-63 molecular structure, 44 53-54 synthesis, 44 47-49 rhomboidal, 44 75-82 solid-state clusters and, 44 66-72, 74-75, 80-82, 85-87 tetrahedral, 44 72-75 triangular, 44 82-87 cofactor, 40 2, 4-12 anaerobic isolation, 40 5 molybdopterin and, 40 4-8 reduced form, 40 12 synthesis, 40 8-12 xanthine oxidase, 45 60-63 complexes... 

The structural relationship between the molecular and solid-state compounds has been a hot issue in inorganic chemistry for some time (25-27). The extrusion (or excision) from preformed solid-state cluster compounds is one of the major synthetic methods of the preparation of cluster complexes (26). Use of cluster complexes as precursors to solid-state cluster compounds is the reverse reaction of excision. Both reactions utilize the structural similarity of the metal cluster units. The basic cluster units of polyhedra (deltahedra) or raft structures are triangles, and both molecular and solid-state clusters with octahedral, tetrahedral, and rhomboidal cores have been reported. Similarity of other properties such as electronic structures based on the cluster units is also important. The present review is concerned with the syntheses and structures of the cluster complexes of the group 6 metals and with their relationships to solid-state chemistry. 

Recently cluster compounds of mercury with an Hg3 ring, an Hg4 ring and an H octahedron with four capped tetrahedrally correlated faces have been described.29 413 1 18 Structural data are listed in Table 1. 

From each of the tetrahedral clusters H2FeRu3(CO)l3, H2FeRu2Os(CO)l3, H2FeRuOs2(CO)13, and HCoRu3(CO),3 the light transition element is removed by CO leaving behind the corresponding M3(CO),2 compound (167). 

It is interesting to note that the partially substituted derivatives obtained in spite of having the same composition demonstrate quite different molecular structures the fluorosubstituted compound is a tetrahedral cluster, the chloro-derivative a square planar, one and the bromosubstituted a butterfly type cluster [370] (Figs. 4.7 b and 4.5 b, Sections 4.4.2, 4.4.5). 

Examples of Gold Heteronuclear Cluster Compounds Exhibiting Capped Tetrahedral Geometries... 

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