REACTIVITY OF [SEFE3(CO)(9)](2-) WITH ELECTROPHILES - FORMATION OF [SEFE2RU3(CO)(14)](2-), [SEFE3(CO)9(MU-HGI)](-), FE-2(CO)(6)(MU-SECHPHSE), AND SE2FE2(CO)(6)(MU-CH2)(2)

The reactions of the tetrahedral cluster [SeFe3(CO)(9)](2-) with some transition-metal complexes and organic halides were investigated. The mixed-metal cluster [Et(4)N](2)[SeFe2Ru3(CO)(14)] (1) was obtained fro m the reaction of [Et(4)N](2)[SeFe3(CO)(9)] with Ru-3(CO)(12) in aceto ne. Further reaction of [Et(4)N](2)[SeFe3(CO)(9)] with HgI2 produces t he HgI-bridged cluster [Et(4)N][SeFe3(CO)(9)(mu-HgI)] (2). While [SeFe 3(CO)(9)](2-) reacts with CHPhCl(2) to produce the CHPh-bridged cluste r Fe-2(CO)(6)(mu-SeCHPhSe) (3), treatment with CH2I2 forms the major p roduct Se2Fe2(CO)(6)(mu-CH2)(2) (4). Complex I displays an octahedral metal core with a mu(4)-Se atom and two carbonyl groups bridging the R u-Ru and Ru-Fe bonds. Cluster 2 consists of a SeFe3 core with a HgI fr agment bridging one Fe-Fe bond, and cluster 3 exhibits a Se2Fe2 butter fly geometry with the wingtip linked by a CHPh moiety. On the other ha nd, cluster 4 contains a planar Se2Fe2 moiety with two CH2 groups brid ging the two Se-Fe bonds. Complexes 1-4 have been fully structurally c haracterized by spectroscopic methods and X-ray diffraction analyses. This paper describes the formation of four different types of clusters from the reactions of [SeFe3(CO)(9)](2-) with electrophiles and discu sses the role of [SeFe3(CO)(9)](2-) and the incoming electrophiles.