Syntheses of a dinuclear Ir complex containing bridging tetraselenide ligands [(C5Me5)Ir(mu-Se-4)(2)Ir(C5Me5)] and its conversion into Ir2Pd2Se3 and Ir2Pd3Se5 clusters

Treatment of Cp*IrCl(mu-Cl)(2)IrCp*Cl (Cp* = eta(5)-C5Me5) with Li2Se4 gave a tetraselenide-bridged diiridium complex Cp*Ir(mu-Se-4)(2)IrCp*, which re acted further with two equiv. of Pd(PPh3)(4) to afford a mixture of bimetal lic tetra- and penta-nuclear selenido clusters (Cp*Ir)(2){Pd(PPh3)}(2)(mu(3 )-Se)(2)(mu(2)-Se) and (Cp*Ir)(2){Pd(PPh3)}(3)(mu(3)-Se)(3)(mu(3)-Se-2).