Complexes containing bridging tin- and germanium-substituted metallocarboxylate ligands from the reactions of Ph3SnOH and Ph3GeOH with Os3(CO)12 in the presence of base

The first examples of bridging tin- and germanium-substituted metallocarboxylate ligands have been obtained from the reactions of Ph3SnOH and Ph3GeOH with Os3(CO)12 under basic conditions. Two products: Os3(CO)10(μ-η2-O=COSnPh3)(μ-OMe), 1 (18% yield) and Os3(CO)10(μ-OMe)(μ-OH), 2 (6.9% yield) were obtained from the reaction of Ph3SnOH with Os3(CO)12 in the presence of [Bu4N]OH in methanol solvent. The compound Os3(CO)10(μ-η2-O=COGePh3)(μ-OMe), 3 (7.3% yield) was prepared similarly by using Ph3GeOH in place of Ph3SnOH. Each of the products 1–3 were characterized structurally by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compounds 1 and 3 each contain an μ-η2-O=COMPh3, M = Sn or Ge ligand bridging a pair of osmium atoms in a triosmium carbonyl cluster complex.