Dichroic, dinuclear mu2-(eta2-NO)-nitrosoaniline-bridged complexes of rhenium of the type [[(CO)3Re(mu-X)]2ONC6H4NR2] (X = Cl, Br, I; R = Me, Et).

A series of unusual dinuclear mu2-(eta2-NO)-nitrosoaniline-bridged complexes [[(CO)3Re(mu-X)]2ONC6H4NR2] (X = Cl, Br, I; R = Me, Et) with dichroic properties have been synthesised by reaction of pentacarbonylhalogenorhenium(I) [(CO)5ReX] (X = Cl, Br, I) with the corresponding nitrosoaniline derivatives R2NC6H4NO (R = Me, Et). The deeply coloured solutions in CH2Cl2 show broad UV/Vis absorptions from 595 to 620 nm depending on the halogen bridges and N substituents. Single crystals of all six compounds exhibit a pronounced linear dichroism.