Reduction of the unique carbonyl in (mu-H)2Os3(CO)9(mu3-CCO) by BH3 THF: molecular structure of (Mu-H)3Os3(CO)9(mu3-CCH3)

The ethylidyne cluster (mu-H)3Os3(CO)9(mu3-CCH3) was synthesized by the addition of excess BH3.THF in CH2Cl2 to (mu-H)2Os3(CO)9(mu3-CCO) which involved the reduction of the unique carbonyl to a methyl group. The presence of ethylidine was also confirmed by X-ray crystal structure determination. The molecular structure of the cluster was described to be of triosmium symmetry made up of an Os3 triangle with three bounded carbonyls per Os atom. The observation was parallel with the result from an X-ray powder diffraction analysis.