Synthesis and spectral properties of some new cobalt/tungsten chain triphos {PhP(CH2CH2PPh2)(2)} bridged multimetallic complexes

Reaction of [Co-2(CO)(8)] with two equivalents of L, L' or L" (L, L' or L" = [WI2(CO){PhP(CH2CH2PPh2)(2)-P,P'}(eta(2)-RC2R')]; L, R = R' = Me; L', R = R' = Ph; L", R = Me, R' = Ph) in CH2Cl2 at room temperature gives the new chain triphos bridged salts, trans-[Co(CO)(3)(L, L' or L")(2)][Co(CO)(4)] ( 1-3) in high yield. Refluxing complexes 1-3 in toluene for 2 h gives the ne utral metal-metal bonded complexes [Co-2(CO)(6)(L, L' or L")(2)] (4-6). All the new multimetallic complexes have been characterised by elemental analy sis (C, H and N), IR,H-1 and P-31{H-1} NMR spectroscopy. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.