The synthesis of the ditungsten species W-2(mu-H)(2)Cl-4(mu-dppm)(2) m
arks the first bulk preparation of a bridging hydride W(III-III) speci
es. The compound retains the characteristic edge-sharing bioctahedral
(ESBO) geometry with a W--W bond distance of 2.3918(7) Angstrom. Altho
ugh several Group VI ESBO complexes have been prepared, only two with
bridging hydride groups, W-2(mu-H)(2)Cl-4(mu-dppm)(2) and W-2(mu-H)(2)
(mu-O2CC6H5)(2) Cl-2(P(C6H5)(3))(2), have been reported to date. The c
omplex W-2(mu-H)(2)Cl-4(mu-dppm)(2) has been characterized with P-31{H
-1}, H-1 NMR, UV-vis, and IR spectroscopic techniques. A singlet is ob
served in the P-31{H-1} NMR spectra of W-2(mu-H)(2)Cl-4(mu-dppm)(2) at
delta = 20.464 ppm with J(P-W) = 126 Hz and the IR spectra includes t
he tungsten-hydride symmetric stretch at 1602 cm(-1). (C) 1997 Elsevie
r Science Ltd.