Complexation of the triply-bonded dirhenium(II) complex Re(2)Cl(4)(mu-dppm)(2) (dppm = Ph(2)PCH(2)PPh(2)) by up to three acetylene molecules.

The triply bonded dirhenium(II) synthons Re(2)X(4)(mu-dppm)(2) (X = Cl, Br; dppm = Ph(2)PCH(2)PPh(2)) react with acetylene at room temperature in CH(2)Cl(2) and acetone to afford the bis(acetylene) complexes Re(2)X(4)(mu-dppm)(2)(mu:eta(2),eta(2)-HCCH)(eta(2)-HCCH) (X = Cl (3), Br(4)). Compound 3 has been derivatized by reaction with RNC ligands in the presence of TlPF(6) to give unsymmetrical complexes of the type [Re(2)Cl(3)(mu-dppm)(2)(mu:eta(2),eta(2)-HCCH)(eta(2)-HCCH)(CNR)]PF(6) (R = Xyl (5), Mes (6), t-Bu (7)), in which the RCN ligand has displaced the chloride ligand cis to the eta(2)-HCCH ligand. The reaction of 3 with an additional 1 equiv of acetylene in the presence of TlPF(6) gives the symmetrical all-cis isomer of [Re(2)Cl(3)(mu-dppm)(2)(mu:eta(2),eta(2)-HCCH)(eta(2)-HCCH)(2)]PF(6) (8).