Organometallic ‘helicopters.’ Characterisation of the non-rigid triosmium arene–alkene complexes [Os3(CO)8(η2-CH2CHR)(µ3-η2:η2:η2-C6H6)], (RH, Ph) and the X-ray crystal structure of [Os3(CO)8(η2-CH2CH2)(µ3-η2:η2:η2-C6H6)]
Abstract
The cluster-alkene complexes [Os3(CO)8(η2-CH2CHR)(µ3-η2:η2:η2-C6H6)](RH, Ph) contain benzene ligands in a face-capping co-ordination mode, and the geometry of the ethylene derivative has been confirmed by a single-crystal X-ray analysis; the intramolecular dynamics of these complexes have been investigated in solution by n.m.r. spectroscopy and are discussed in terms of arene ring-whizzing and alkene rotation.