Carbidoheptarhenate complexes of mercury hydroxide and arenethiolate. Crystal structures of [Net3Bz]2[Re7C(CO)21HgOH] and [PPh4]2[Re7C(CO)21HgSc6H4Br]

A novel method of synthesizing thiolate derivatives was described. The design involved the reaction of cluster-complexed hydroxomercury compound, [Re7C(CO)21HgCl](super)2- with dithioerythritol/dithioreitol mixture as the dispersing material. Data indicated that the reactivity of the starting compound toward sulfhydryl groups was secondary to the high thiophilicity of mercury. The starting compound required interactions with sulfhydryl groups in order to yield derivatives that contain electron-dense markers.