Cluster dynamics of heterometallic trinuclear clusters during ligand substitution, redox chemistry, and group transfer processes.

Stepwise metalation of the hexadentate ligand LH (LH = 1,3,5-CH(NHCH--NHSiMeBu)) affords bimetallic trinuclear clusters (L)FeZn(thf) and (L)FeZn(py). Reactivity studies were pursued to understand metal atom lability as the clusters undergo ligand substitution, redox chemistry, and group transfer processes. Chloride addition to (L)FeZn(thf) resulted in a mixture of species including both all-zinc and all-iron products.

Revealing redox isomerism in trichromium imides by anomalous diffraction.

In polynuclear biological active sites, multiple electrons are needed for turnover, and the distribution of these electrons among the metal sites is affected by the structure of the active site. However, the study of the interplay between structure and redox distribution is difficult not only in biological systems but also in synthetic polynuclear clusters since most redox changes produce only one thermodynamically stable product. Here, the unusual chemistry of a sterically hindered trichromium complex allowed us to probe the relationship between structural and redox isomerism.