Thermal reactions of dimanganese decacarbonyl with tetraalkyldiphosphine disulfides (R = Me, Et, Pr-n, Bu-n) and crystal structure of [Mn-2(CO)(8)(mu-PBu2n)(2)]

Reaction of Mn-2(CO)(10) with R2P(S)P(S)R-2 (R = Me, Et, Pr", Bu") in toluene at 120degreesC yields binuclear [Mn-2(CO)(8)(mu-PR2)(2)] and trinuclear [Mn(CO)(3)(mu-S=PR2)](3) complexes. Both result from phosphorus-phosphorus bond scission, while in the former sulfur abstraction has also occurred. An X-ray diffraction study of [Mn-2(CO)(8)(mu-PBu"(2))(2)] confirms that the manganese adopts a distorted octahedral geometry with local C-2v symmetry. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.