BIS(DIPHENYLPHOSPHINO)METHANETETRADECACARBONYLHEXAIRIDIUM DICHLOROMETHANE SOLVATE

The molecules of the title complex, mu-bis(diphenyl-phosphino)methane-P:P'-tetra-mu3-carbonyl-decacarbonyl-octahedro-hexairidium, [Ir6(CO)14(C25H22P2)] are discrete monomeric units. Their coordination polyhedron is derived from that of the red [Ir6(CO)16] isomer with a chelating dppm [bis(diphenylphosphino)methane] ligand replacing two equatorial terminal carbonyl groups in cis positions. The clusters display mirror symmetry with respect to the two P atoms. Ten CO groups are terminal and four are face-capping. Two of the face-capping groups are asymmetric, with Ir-C bond distances ranging from 1.97 (2) to 2.43 (2) angstrom. The molecule is fluxional in solution down to 160 K due to rapid CO scrambling on the NMR timescale.