A trinuclear Fe-Fe-Ni complex formed by ligand reshuffling.

The title complex, dicarbonyl-3κ(2)C-(μ(3)-3,6-dimethyl-3,6-diaza-octane-1,8-dithiol-ato-1:2:3κ(7)S:S,N,N',S':S,S')(μ(2)-3,6-di-methyl-3,6-diaza-octane-1,8-dithiol-ato-1:2κ(5)S,N,N',S':S)-1,2-diiron(II)-3-nickel(0) [Fe(2)Ni(C(8)H(18)N(2)S(2))(2)(CO)(2)], is the second example showing M(μ-SR)(2)Ni(0)(CO)(2) coordination (M = any metal atom). Both Fe(II) ions are five-coordinated in distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometries by two N atoms and three S atoms. The Ni atom is four-coordinated in a distorted tetra-hedral geometry by two S atoms and two carbonyl ligands. One of the 3,6-dimethyl-3,6-diaza-octane-1,8-dithiol-ate ligands is disordered, the major component having a refined occupancy of 0.873 (2). The Fe⋯Fe distance is 3.0945 (3)Å and the Ni⋯Fe distance is 2.8505 (3) Å.