Crystal structures and 31P NMR spectra of two trinuclear molybdenum clusters coordinated by p-chlorobenzoate: Mo3S4(DTP)3(p-ClC6H4COO)(Py)$EtOH and Mo3S4(DTP)3(p-ClC6H4COO)(DMF)

Two molybdenum cluster compounds, Mo3S4(DTP)3(p-chlorobenzoate)(Py)$EtOH (I) (DTPZdiethyl dithiophosphate) and Mo3S4 (DTP)3(p-chlorobenzoate)(DMF) (II), have been rationally synthesized by the reaction of Mo3S4(DTP)4(H2O) or Mo3S4(DTP)3 (CCl3COO)(Py) with p-chlorobenzoic acid in different solvents. The crystal structures have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The obviously short Mo2–O (of DMF) distance in (II) reveals a stronger covalent bond between Mo3S4 core and the DMF. 31P NMR studies substantiate that the cluster stability in polar solvents are much improved when m-DTP or m-CCl3COO is replaced by p-chlorobenzoate. q 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved