New polynuclear cobalt trimethylacetate complexes: synthesis and structure

Extraction of polymer (1), formed in the reaction of CoCl2 with KOOCBut, wi th boiling hexane gives crystals of hexamer Co-6(mu(3)-OH)(2)(OOCBut)(10)(H OOCBut)(4) (2). According to data of X-ray study, four Co-II atoms in the h exanuclear molecule 2 have an octahedral ligand environment and two Co-II a toms have a tetrahedral one. Dissolution of polymer 1 in EtOH results in it s splitting into Co-4(mu(3)-OH)(2)(OOCBut)(6)(HOEt)(6) tetramers (3). In mo lecule 3, two asymmetric dimeric (eta(2)-OOCBut)(EtOH)Co(mu-OOCBut)Co(HOEt) (2) fragments are bound by two tridentate bridging OH groups.