Synthesis and crystal structures of the heptamagnesium cationic and mixed magnesium(II)/nickel(II) molecular 2-tetrahydrofurfuroxo aggregates

Direct reaction of metallic magnesium with 2-tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol (TH FFOH) produces the alkoxo magnesium compound of composition Mg(THFFO)(2), 1 . Compound 1 reacts with FeCl2 and NiCl2 to create two different species: t he ionic [Mg-7(mu(3), mu(2)-THFFO)(6)(mu, eta(2)-THFFO)(6)][FeCl4]. 3CH(2)C l(2), 2, and the mixed [(Mg-II/Ni-II)(4)(mu(3), eta(2)-THFFO)(4)Cl-4(C2H5OH )(4)]. 0.5C(2)H(5)OH molecular complex 3, respectively. Complexes 2 and 3 h ave been structurally characterized. The cation of compound 2 consists of a Mg-7 unit comprising a central Mg atom held within a Mg-6 puckered hexagon by six mu(3)-O(alkoxo) groups from the THFFO ligands. Complex 3 consists o f four crystallographically independent distorted octahedral metal sites, d istributed unequally (Mg-0.7 and Ni-0.3), which together with alkoxo oxygen atoms form a cubane-like framework.