A hexanuclear metallacrown palladium(II) cluster derived from 2-mercaptoethanol

A [12]metallacrown-6 palladium cluster, [Pd6(μ2-SCH2CH2OH)12] (1), was obtained upon reaction of Pd[(NH3)4]Cl2 with 2-mercaptoethanol in water solution. 1 was characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. Within the molecule, the six palladium atoms are united by disulfobridges (from twelve thiolate anions), forming almost ideal plane hexagon. Each palladium is surrounded by four sulphur atoms in an approximately square planar fashion, with Pd–S distances of 2.3094(5)–2.3378(5) Å, while the shortest Pd–Pd distance is 3.0931(2)–3.1098(2) Å. The clusters are interconnected by hydrogen bonds through hydroxy-groups of thiolate ligands forming a supramolecular infinite 3D structure.