title: Selective synthesis of the [Ni36Co8C8(CO)48]6- octa-carbide carbonyl cluster by thermal decomposition of the [H2Ni22Co6C6(CO)36]4- hexa-carbide.
abstract: The thermal decomposition in thf solution of [H2Ni22Co6C6(CO)36](4-) results in the new [HNi36Co8C8(CO)48](5-) bimetallic Ni-Co octa-carbide, which can be converted into the closely related [H6-nNi36Co8C8(CO)48](n-) (n = 3-6) polyhydrides by means of acid-base reactions. The structure of the [Ni36Co8C8(CO)48](6-) hexa-anion has been established via X-ray crystallography, showing that the eight interstitial carbide atoms are lodged within different metal cages. Thus, two C-atoms are enclosed within regular square anti-prismatic Ni8C cages, four within irregular Ni8C square anti-prismatic cages, and the last two within mono-capped trigonal prismatic Ni5Co2C cages. The structure of [Ni36Co8C8(CO)48](6-) is non-compact and closely related to [Ni32C6(CO)38](6-) and [HNi38C6(CO)44](5-). [Ni36Co8C8(CO)48](6-) approaches the nanosize regime and the whole molecular ion has a diameter (measured from the outer oxygen atoms) of ca. 1.61 nm.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica Industriale Toso Montanari, Università di Bologna, Viale Risorgimento 4, 40136 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Iacopo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ciabatti
authors.forename: Fabrizia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fabrizi de Biani
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Femoni
authors.forename: Maria Carmela
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Iapalucci
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Longoni
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zacchini
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D003035:Cobalt / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D003035:Cobalt; D002244:Carbon; D009532:Nickel; D002248:Carbon Monoxide