Facile Substitution of Bridging SO₂^2– Ligands in Re₁₂ Bioctahedral Cluster Complexes

Selective substitution of μ-SO₂^2– groups by either O^2– or Se^2– ions occurs upon heating the bioctahedral rhenium cluster complex K₆[Re₁₂CS₁₄(μ-SO₂)₃(CN)₆] in air atmosphere or in the presence of a Se source, respectively, manifesting the remarkable lability of SO₂^2– ligands bound to a transition-metal cluster. A series of compounds based on the new mixed-ligand anions, [Re₁₂CS₁₄(μ-O)₃(CN)₆]^6–, [Re₁₂CS₁₄(μ-Se)₃(CN)₆]^6–, and [Re₁₂CS₁₄(μ-O)₃(OH)₆]^6–, were isolated and their solid-state structures were elucidated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Along with the previously reported μ-sulfide clusters, the new species constitute a series of rhenium anionic complexes with the common formula [Re₁₂CS₁₄(μ-Q)₃L₆]^6– (Q = O, S, Se, L = CN^–; Q = O, S, L = OH^–), within which the total charge and number of cluster valence electrons (CVEs) are constant. The article presents insights into the mechanistic and synthetic aspects of the substitution process, and it comprehensively discusses the influence of inner ligand environment on the structure, spectroscopic characteristics, and electrochemical behavior of the novel compounds.