SYNTHESIS AND MASS-SPECTRAL CHARACTERIZATION OF IRON-CENTERED HEXAPOLYPYRIDINE STARS AND THEIR HEXARUTHENIUM COMPLEXES

Reaction of hexa(hydroxybutenyl)benzene, 1a, and its FeCp+ complex, 1b , with halogeno-polypyridine in DMSO in the presence of KOH yields the hexapolypyridine ligands 2-4 and their iron-centered complexes 5-7. T he hexaligands 3 and 4 were metallated using Ru(bipy)(2)Cl-2 and Ru(te rpy)Cl-3, respectively, which gave correct yields of the hexaruthenium complexes 8 and 9. The iron-centered core 1b also reacted with [Ru(bi py)(2)(4-chloro-bipy)](2+)(PF6-)(2) to give the hexaruthenated heptanu clear complex 11. Full characterizations including various mass spectr ometry techniques verified the proposed structures.