Cyanide-bridged trinuclear complexes based on central bis(hexafluoroacetylacetonate)metal units

By treatment of the complexes (hfa)2M (M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd; hfa=hexafluoroacetylacetonate) with the metallocyanides LnM′CN (LnM′=Cp(dppe)Fe and Cp(PPh3)2Ru) 14 trinuclear complexes LnM′CNM(hfa)2NCM′Ln were obtained. Their IR data and four structure determinations have shown that they contain essentially linear M′CNMNCM′ arrays, i.e. have trans-configured M(hfa)2(NC)2 centers. Only complex Cp(PPh3)2RuCNCo(hfa)2NCRu(PPh3)2Cp was also obtained and structurally characterized as the cis isomer. Cyclic voltammetry has yielded no indication that there is electronic communication between the external LnM units upon oxidation.