Synthesis of heteronuclear (MoRu2) clusters from 16-electron half-sandwich complexes (p-Cymene)Ru[E2C2(B10H10)] (E = S, Se)

The heterometallic cluster complexes {(p-Cymene)Ru[S2C2(B10H10)]}Mo(CO)2{(CO)3Ru[S2C2(B10H10)]} (2) and {(p-Cymene)Ru[Se2C2(B10H10)]}2Mo(CO)2 (3) (p-Cymene = η6-4-isopropyl-toluene) have been synthesized from the reactions of 16-electron half-sandwich ruthenium 1,2-dichalcogenolate carborane complexes (p-Cymene)Ru[E2C2(B10H10)] (E = S(1a), Se(1b)) with Mo(CO)3(Py)3 in the presence of BF3 · Et2O. The complexes of 2 and 3 were characterized by elemental analysis and IR, NMR spectra. The molecular structure of 2 has been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Complex 2 is unsymmetrical and the two Ru–Mo single bonds (2.7893(14), 2.8189(13) Å) are each supported by a symmetrically bridging o-carborane-1,2-dithiolato ligand.