Molecular metal sulfide cluster model for substrate binding to oil-refinery hydrodesulfurization catalysts

Reaction between [(eta5-Cp')3Mo3S4]+ and [Ni(1,5-cod)2] (Cp' = methylcyclopentadienyl; 1,5-cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) in THF at ambient temperature yielded a coordinatively unsaturated cubane-like cluster cation, [(eta5-Cp')3Mo3S4Ni]+. The ligand sphere at the Ni atom could be saturated by coordinating dimethyl sulfide, diethyl sulfide, di(tert-butyl) sulfide, tetrahydrothiophene, thiochroman-4-ol, 1,4-dithiane, pyridine, quinoline, or 4,4'-bipyridine. The products structurally model a mode of substrate coordination on proposed binding sites of heterogeneous MoNi sulfide hydrotreating catalysts. No stable coordination compounds could be isolated for thiophene derivatives. X-ray crystal structures are reported for the ligand-bridged dicluster compounds [[(eta5-Cp')3Mo3S4Ni]2(mu-C4H4S2)][pts]2 (C4H8S2 = 1,4-dithiane) and [[(eta5-Cp')3Mo3S4Ni]2(mu-bipy)][pts]2 (bipy = 4,4'-bipyridine).