Mixed metal cyanide complexes derived from the CpCo(CN)3− anion

Reaction of the salt KCpCo(CN)3 (1) with zinc iodide leads to the formation of a highly insoluble Co(III)/Zn(II) polymeric chain. However, pyridine was found to disrupt the aggregate that is formed to yield a crystalline trimetallic complex consisting of two CpCo(CN)3 anions bridging a Zn(py)4 dication through the cyanide ligands, [CpCo(CN)2(μ-CN)]2Zn(py)4 (2). Along these same lines, reaction of CpCo(CN)2PPh3 (3) with AlCl3 or CoCl2 leads to the formation of a highly crystalline Co(II)/Co(III) diamond, [CpCo(PPh3)(μ-CN)2CoCl2]2 (4). Molecular structures of 1, 2, 3 and 4 were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography.