Ligand properties of Cp*Ga: new examples of Mo–Ga and W–Ga complexes

The compounds [fac-(Cp*Ga)3M(CO)3] (1a, M=Mo: 1b, M=W) were synthesized by reaction of [fac-(RCN)3M(CO)3] (R=Me, Et) with Cp*Ga. The treatment of 1a with one equivalent of [fac-(MeCN)3Mo(CO)3] gives the dimeric cluster compound [Mo2(CO)6(μ2-(GaCp*))3] (2). Addition of Cp*Ga to the Lewis-acidic unsaturated metal centres of [CpM(CO)2]2 (M=Mo, W) yields the dimeric complexes [(OC)2(Cp)M(μ2-(η1-GaCp*))]2 (3a: M=Mo, 3b: M=W). The new compounds 1–3 were characterized fully including single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.