An Organometallic Octopus Complex: Structure and Properties of a Resorcinarene with 16 Cobalt Centers

An “octopus-like” octapropargyl resorcinarene gives the most highly metalated resorcinarene known by addition of Co 2 (CO) 6 units to all eight propargyl groups. Reaction of the octapropargyl resorcinarene derivatives {PhCH 2 CH 2 CHC 6 H 2 (OCH 2 CCR) 2 } 4 (R = H, Me) with [Co 2 (CO) 8 ] gives the corresponding octakis[alkyne(dicobalt)] derivatives [{PhCH 2 CH 2 CHC 6 H 2 (OCH 2 CCRCo 2 (CO) 6 ) 2 } 4 ], and the Co 16 complex with R = H has been structurally characterized. The octapropargyl compound {PhCH 2 CH 2 CHC 6 H 2 (OCH 2 CCH) 2 } 4 also yields the octaalkynylgold(I) derivatives [{PhCH 2 CH 2 CHC 6 H 2 (OCH 2 CCAuL) 2 } 4 ], with L = PPh 3, t -BuNC, and the insoluble, polymeric compounds [{PhCH 2 CH 2 CHC 6 H 2 (OCH 2 CCAu) 2 (μ-LL) 2 } 4 ] x with diphosphine ligands, with LL = Ph 2 P(CH 2 ) n PPh 2 and n = 1, 2, 4.