PREPARATION AND STRUCTURE OF THE FACE-SHARING BIOCTAHEDRAL ION [MO2CL8(PET(3))](2-)

The reaction of [PPh(4)][MoCl4(THF)(2)] with PEt(3) affords [PPh(4)](2 )[Mo2Cl8(PEt(3))] as a dark red solid with two molecules of CH2Cl2 of crystallization. The crystals are triclinic (P (1) over bar) with Z=2 for a unit cell of the following dimensions: a=13.168(5), b=21.436(6), c=11.852(4) Angstrom, alpha=91.16(3), beta=100.07(3), gamma=107.22(3) degrees, V=3137 Angstrom(3). In the face-sharing bioctahedral (FSBO) a nion, the Mo-Mo distance is 2.767(2) Angstrom. The structure is compar ed to a number of other FSBO structures of general formula Mo2Cl9-n(PR (3))(n).