BRIDGED SITE-DIFFERENTIATED [FE4S4](2- SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION() DOUBLE CUBANES )

Bridged [Fe4S4](2+) double cubanes containing a differentiated iron si te have been prepared by reaction of monocubane clusters [Fe(4)S(4)Ln( SEt)](2-) (Ln: L1 = 1,4,7-tris(4-sulfanylbenzoyl)-1,4,7 - triazacyclon onane(3-); L2 = 1,5,9-tris(4-sulfanylbenzoyl)-1,5,9 - triazacyclo-dode cane(3-)) with dithiol ligands. Clusters [{Fe(4)S(4)Ln}(2)(mu-L')](4-) ; (L1, L' = p-xylenedithiolate (1), m-xylenedithiolate (3), butanedith iolate (5), ethanedithiolate (7); L2, L' = p-xylenedithiolate (2), m-x ylenedithiolate (4), butanedithiolate (6), ethanedithiolate (8) are re ported. Moreover, by reaction of [Fe(4)S(4)nCl](2-) with lithium sulfi de, [{(Fe(4)S(4)Ln}(2)(mu-S)](4-) (n=1 (9), n=2 (10)) have been obtain ed. The black solids have been isolated as [PPh4](+) salts from dimeth yl sulfoxide by addition of diethylether. The new clusters have been c haracterized by v-uv, ir, H-1-nmr and Mossbauer spectroscopies and con ductivity measurements.