HIGH-YIELD SYNTHESIS OF THE CUBOIDAL RHENIUM CLUSTER [RE4S4(CN)(12)](4-) BY REACTION OF THE TRIANGULAR CLUSTER [RE3S7BR6](+) WITH CYANIDE

Reaction of the triangular cluster compound [Re3S7Br6]Br with an aqueo us solution of KCN results in the conversion of trinuclear Re-3(V) to cuboidal Re-4(IV), which is isolated here as Cs2K2[Re4S4(CN)(12)]. 2H( 2)O in 78% yield and characterized crystallographically. The reaction is believed to proceed via trinuclear (Re3S47+)-S-V to binuclear (Re2S 44+)-S-VI with the exclusion of Re-III. The S2- --> S and CN- --> SCN- changes result in dimerization to the (Re4S48+)-S-IV product.