Synthesis and characterization of new acyclic polyethers and macrocyclic crown ethers containing double-butterfly Fe4S3 cluster cores. Crystal structures of {[Fe2(CO)6]2(μ4-S)}2[μ-SCH2(CH2OCH2)2CH2S-μ2] and {[Fe2(CO)6]2(μ4-S)}2[μ-SCH2(CH2OCH2)2CH2S-μ][μ-S

The [Et3NH]+ salts of dianions {[(μ-CO)Fe2(CO)6]2(μ-SZS-μ)}2−, prepared from Fe3(CO)12, dithiol HSZSH and Et3N, with (μ-S2)Fe2(CO)6 followed by treatment with monohalides ClCH2CO2Et, PhHgCl and PhC(Cl)NPh to give acyclic polyether clusters {(μ-RS)[Fe2(CO)6]2(μ4-S)}2(μ-SZS-μ) [1–5: R=CH2CO2Et, PhHg, PhCNPh; Z=CH2(CH2OCH2)2−4CH2], while they reacted with (μ-S2)Fe2(CO)6 and subsequent treatment with dihalides BrCH2(CH2OCH2)2−4CH2Br under similar conditions to afford macrocyclic crown ether clusters {[Fe2(CO)6]2(μ4-S)}2(μ-SZS-μ)(μ-SYS-μ) [6–11: Z, Y=CH2(CH2OCH2)2−4CH2]. Clusters 1–11 are new, and have been characterized by elemental analysis and spectroscopy, as well as for 6 [Z=Y=CH2(CH2OCH2)2CH2] and 9 [Z=CH2(CH2OCH2)2CH2, Y=CH2(CH2OCH2)3CH2] by X-ray diffraction techniques.