Reactivity Study of the P2 Ligand Complex [{CPCr(CO)2}2(μ-η2-P2)]

The complex [{CpCr(CO)(2)}(2)(mu-n(2)-P-2)] has shown highly contrasting reactivity behavior towards ECl3 (E = P, As, Sb) and LiBEt3H. The reaction with ECl3 has yielded the first example of cyclo-P2E ligand complexes, [Cp(CO)(2)Cr(eta(3).P2E)]. On the other hand, the reaction with LiBEt3H led to P-P bond cleavage and formation of novel PH2 containing complexes [Cp-2(CO)(4)Cr-2(mu-PH2)(mu-H)], and [Cp-2(CO)(4)Cr-2(mu-PH2)(2)] and the complex [< CpCr(CO)(2)](2)(mu-PH)>)[(CpCr)(2)(mu,eta(1):eta(1):eta(5):eta(5)-P-5) The reaction of [Cp-2(CO)(4)Cr-2(mu-PH2)(mu-H)] with [AuCl(PPh3)] led to the formation of high nuclearity cluster [{CpCr(CO)(2)](6)(mu(4)-P)(3)(mu(4)-Au)(3)], which is the first example of a planar Au/P cluster.