Reaction of silica-supported
α-[Os(CO)3Cl2]2 in the
presence of alkali-metal carbonates
affords reactive surface osmium(II) species. The nature of
the latter depends on the basicity
given to the silica surface, with K2CO3
behaving as a stronger base than Na2CO3
when
supported on silica. Infrared evidence suggests that with a low
basicity (for instance, molar
ratio Na2CO3:Os = 2:1), surface species
such as
[Os(CO)3(OR)2]
n
(R = H, Si⪪) are initially
formed; an increase of the surface basicity (molar ratio
(Na2CO3 or
K2CO3):Os = (10−20):1)
leads to the formation of probably anionic
{[Os(CO)3(OR)2]
m
(OR)}-
(R = H, Si⪪; m > 1)
entities up to the less reactive species
[Os(CO)3(OH)3]-.
The high reactivity of these surface
species is confirmed by the controlled reduction by CO or
H2 of silica-supported
[Os(CO)3(OH)2]
n
in the presence of
alkali-metal carbonates, which leads selectively to either
neutral
([Os3(CO)12],
[H4Os4(CO)12]) or anionic
([H3Os4(CO)12]-,
[Os10C(CO)24]2-)
clusters, in accord
with results obtained with supported
α-[Os(CO)3Cl2]2.
There is direct and indirect evidence
that the aggregation process occurs via silica-anchored
[HOs3(CO)10(OSi⪪)] or
silica-supported
[HOs3(CO)10(OH)] species, followed by further
condensation to
[H4Os4(CO)12] or
[H3Os4(CO)12]-
according to the basicity of the surface. The nature and the
quantity of added alkali
carbonate (Na2CO3 or
K2CO3), together with the temperature,
influence the formation of
either
[H3Os4(CO)12]-
or
[H2Os4(CO)12]2-,
which can act as intermediates for further
condensation to cluster anions of higher nuclearity. In addition
to these reaction parameters,
the amount of H2 in the gas phase is also crucial in
defining the relative stability and the
reactivity of the surface species
[H3Os4(CO)12]-
and
[H2Os4(CO)12]2-
and their further
condensation to specific carbonyl cluster anions.