The Incomplete Cubane Complexes Having Co3O4 or Mo3S4 Core with the N–N–O Type Tridentates; l-histidinato and Ethylenediamine-N-acetato

Abstract A trinuclear cobalt(III) complex, [Co3(l-his)3(μ-OH)3(μ3-O)]ClO4·H2O (l-Hhis: l-histidine), containing an incomplete cubane Co3O4 core was isolated and the structure was compared with [Co3(edma)3(μ-OH)3(μ3-O)]+ (Hedma: NH2CH2CH2NHCH2COOH) isomers. Using the edma and l-his as N–N–O type ligands, [Mo3(L)3(μ-S)3(μ3-S)]+ complexes with a Mo3S4 incomplete cubane core were also prepared, and their structures were determined by the X-ray diffraction method. A structural similarity between [Mo3(L)3(μ-S)3(μ3-S)]+ and [Co3(L)3(μ-OH)3(μ3-O)]+ is discussed; it is suggested that three N–H···O inter-ligand (intra-molecular) attractive interaction has an important role in stabilizing the incomplete cubane structure.