REACTIONS OF THE UNSATURATED ANION {[RE3(MU-H)4(CO)10]- WITH PHOSPHINES - SYNTHESIS OF THE ANIONS [RE3(MU-H)2(CO)10(PR3)2]-, AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF [NET4][RE3(MU-H)2(CO)10(PPH3)2]}

The reaction of the unsaturated cluster anion [Re3(\u3bc-H)4(CO)10]- with tertiary phosphines at room temperature results in the substitution of two hydride ligands (eliminated as H2) by two PR3 ligands, leading to saturated [Re3(\u3bc-H)2(CO)10-(PR3)2]- compounds. A single crystal X-ray diffraction study of the PPh3 derivative revealed that the two phosphines occupy non-equivalent equatorial coordination sites on the triangular cluster. The rate of the reaction greatly increases with increase of the basicity of the phosphine