2 ZIRCONIUM(IV) COMPLEXES, [ZR2CL8(PME(3))(4)] AND TRANS-[ZRI4(PME(2)PH)(2)]

The crystal and molecular structures of di-mu is[trichlorobis(trimethy lphosphine)zirconium(IV)], [Zr2Cl8(C3H9P)4] (1), and is(dimethylphenyl phosphine)tetraiodozirconium(IV), trans-[ZrI4(C8H11P)2] (2), have been determined. Compound (1) is dinuclear with Zr atoms bridged by two Cl atoms, forming the shared edge of the bipolyhedral structure. The coo rdination geometry around each of the seven-coordinate Zr-IV atoms is best described as face-capped octahedral. The capping PMe(3) ligands a re bound to the Zr atoms through the triangular faces formed by the te rminal Cl atoms. In (2), the coordination geometry of the Zr atom is o ctahedral with the PMe(2)Ph ligands trans to each other.