Ferratricarbollide design for molecular assemblies: complexes [9,9 '-((BuHN)-H-t)(2)-commo-2,2 '-M-closo-1,7,9-(C3B8H10)-1 ',7 ',9 '-(C3B8H10)] (where M = Fe or Ru), the first examples of double-cluster metallatricarbollides

The first types of double-cluster metallatricarbollides, compounds of gener al structure [9,9'-((BuHN)-H-t)(2)- commo-2,2'-M-closo-1,7,9-(C3B8H10)-1',7 ',9'- (C3B8H10)] (M= Fe or Ru), were synthesised from reactions between 7-( (BuH2N)-H-t)-7,8,9-C3B8H10 and FeCl2 or [RuCl2(DMSO)(4)] in the presence of excess NaH at high temperature; the complexes contain two amino groups con veniently attached in para-positions to the metal centres, which is a conve nient feature for designed constructions of linear molecular assemblies.