The first fullerene-metal sandwich complex: an unusually strong electronic communication between two C(60) cages.

Reaction of Rh(6)(CO)(9)(dppm)(2)(mu(3)-eta(2),eta(2),eta(2)-C(60)) (1) with C(60) in refluxing chlorobenzene followed by treatment with CNR (R = CH(2)C(6)H(5)) at room temperature affords the first fullerene-metal sandwich complex Rh(6)(CO)(5)(dppm)(2)(CNR)(mu(3)-eta(2),eta(2),eta(2)-C(60))(2) (2). Compound 2 has been characterized by an X-ray diffraction study. Electrochemical study of 2 reveals six well-separated reversible redox couples localized at C(60) cages due to a strong electronic communication between the two C(60) centers via the Rh(6) cluster spacer.