MAGNETIC-BEHAVIOR IN CLUSTER-BASED ORGANOMETALLIC MATERIALS - SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE NOVEL 1,1'-BIS(DIPHENYLPHOSPHINO)FERROCENE-CRIPPLED CLUSTER DERIVATIVE [RU6C(CO)(15)(MU-FE((C5H4)PPH(2))(2))]

The hexaruthenium carbido cluster derivative [Ru6C(CO)(15){mu-Fe(C5H4P (Ph)(2))(2)}], 3, has been synthesized by direct reaction. of the pare nt cluster [Ru6C(CO)(17)], 1, with 1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocen e (dppf). An X-ray crystallographic study revealed that the dppf ligan d is coordinated in the vicinal form and the cluster core is greatly d istorted from a regular octahedron. P-31 NMR spectra of 3 at various t emperatures show a high degree of stereochemically nonrigid behavior. Magnetic susceptibility measurements across a range of temperatures in dicate that 3 is paramagnetic at all temperatures. An electrochemical study of 3 has demonstrated a significant degree of communication betw een the redox-active sites.