Preparation and crystal structures of [μ-SbPh2]2[Mo(CO)2(η5-C5H5)]2•CHCl3, and SbPh[Fe(CO)2(η5-C5H5)]2

Antimony is reduced when [SbPh2BrO](2) is treated with Na[Mo(CO)(3)(eta(5)-C5H5)] to produce [mu-SbPh2](2)[Mo(CO)(2)(mu(5)-C5H5)](2). A structure determination shows diphenylstibido groups bridging between two Mo(CO)(2)(eta(5)-C5H5) moieties giving a central 'butterfly' shaped Sb2Mo2 ring. The cyclopentadiene rings are trans to each other and Mo-Sb and Sb-Sb separations are both short. An iron analogue could not be obtained from [SbPh2BrO](2) and Na[Fe(CO)(2)(eta(5)-C5H5)] but a mixture of SbPh[Fe(CO)(2)(eta(5)-C5H5)](2) and SbPh2[Fe(CO)(2)(eta(5)-C5H5)] was obtained using SbPh2Cl. An X-ray structure for SbPh[Fe(CO)(2)(eta(5)-C5H5)](2) shows an open stibinidine structure. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.