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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Synthesis of a Water-soluble Metal–Organic Complex Array
Published on: October 8, 2016
Reductive coupling of metal triangles in sandwich complexes
Tetsuro Murahashi1, Yasuhiro Hashimoto, Koji Chiyoda
1Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, and PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan. tetsu@chem.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp
The one-electron reduction of palladium complexes forms novel hexapalladium dimers with a unique bitriangle structure. These air-sensitive dimers are stable in acetonitrile but require careful handling.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Coordination Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Palladium complexes are crucial in catalysis and materials science.
- Cycloheptatriene ligands offer unique coordination possibilities.
- Dimerization of metal complexes can lead to novel structures and properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the electrochemical reduction of palladium-cycloheptatriene complexes.
- To characterize the structure and stability of the resulting palladium clusters.
- To explore the formation of novel palladium skeletons.
Main Methods:
- Electrochemical reduction in acetonitrile.
- X-ray crystallographic analysis for structural determination.
- Stability studies in deuterated acetonitrile (CD3CN).
Main Results:
- One-electron reduction of [Pd3(C7H7)2(CH3CN)3][BF4]2 yielded a hexapalladium dimer, [Pd6(C7H7)4(CH3CN)4][BF4]2.
- The dimer features a novel bitriangle hexapalladium skeleton.
- Similar dimerization was observed for related cycloheptatriene tripalladium complexes (R = H, t-Bu).
- Both monomeric and dimeric forms were structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography.
- The dimer exhibits stability in CD3CN at room temperature for several days but is highly air-sensitive.
Conclusions:
- The electrochemical reduction of palladium-cycloheptatriene complexes provides a route to novel hexapalladium clusters.
- The bitriangle hexapalladium skeleton represents a new structural motif in organometallic chemistry.
- Understanding the stability and reactivity of these air-sensitive dimers is crucial for their potential applications.
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