Synthesis and Structure of Cuboctahedral and Anticuboctahedral Cages Containing 12 Quadruply Bonded Dimolybdenum Units

The syntheses and structures of two clusters containing 12
Mo−Mo quadruple bonds, [Mo24(C12H12O4)24](C5H5N)12 and
Mo24(C8H4O4)24, are reported. The 12 paddlewheel building blocks
and 24 ligands self-assemble into cuboctahedral and anticuboctahedral polyhedra, respectively, depending on the manner in which
the two halves of the cluster are aligned. These clusters contain
twice as many dimolybdenum units as any previously reported
cluster. Possible assembly mechanisms are also proposed.