Step-by-step transformations of ferrocenyltellurium complexes of Group VIB metal carbonyls

•New diferrocenylditelluride complexes of VIB metal carbonyls synthesized and characterized.•Electron compensating transformations of Cr, Mo,W carbonyls/Fc2Te2 complexes revealed.•Unusual intermolecular Te⋯π-Cp contacts (3.5 Å) found in new polymorphic form of Fc2Te2.

Stepwise interactions of photochemically generated M(CO)5(THF) (M = Cr, Mo, W) with diferrocenylditelluride initially generated mononuclear M(CO)5(Fc2Te2) followed by the bimetallic [M(CO)5]2(μ-Fc2Te2), with terminal and bridged Fc2Te2 moieties, respectively. On photolysis, [M(CO)5]2(μ-Fc2Te2) transformed to FcTe bridged and M–M bonded “butterfly” complexes [(CO)4M(μ-FcTe)]2 via the elimination of two carbonyl groups. The solid state structures and 125Te NMR spectral data of the new complexes and a new polymorphic form of Fc2Te2 having remarkable intermolecular Te⋯π-Cp short contacts (av. 3.5 Å) are discussed.

Graphical abstractSuccessive electron compensating transformations of diferrocenylditelluride complexes of M(CO)5(THF) (M = Cr, Mo, W) allowed monometallic M(CO)5(Fc2Te2), bimetallic [M(CO)5]2(μ-Fc2Te2) and FcTe-bridged “butterfly” complexes [(CO)4M(μ-FcTe)]2. New polymorphic form of Fc2Te2 having remarkable intermolecular Te⋯π-Cp short contacts (av. 3.5 Å) was found.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide