Application of a universal force field to mixed Fe/Mo-S/Se cubane and heterocubane clusters. 1. Substitution of sulfur by selenium in the series [Fe4X4(YCH3)4]2-; X = S/Se and Y = S/Se.

A series of Fe-S and Fe-Se cubane clusters containing all four combinations of the general formula [Fe(4)X(4)(Y-CH(3))(4)](2)(-) (X = S/Se, Y = S/Se) is investigated with FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. The terminally selenolate coordinated clusters (Y = Se) are prepared by a new synthetic route. All four cluster compounds are structurally characterized by X-ray single-crystal structure determination. Infrared and Raman spectra of all compounds are presented and interpreted with normal coordinate analysis. The corresponding force fields are based on that developed for the Fe(4)S(4)-benzyl cluster (Czernuszewicz, R. S.; Macor, K. A.; Johnson, M. K.; Gewirth, A.; Spiro, T. G. J. Am.Chem. Soc. 1987, 109, 7178-7187). An empirical procedure is presented to convert Fe-S into Fe-Se force constants. Only minor changes in force constants are found upon S --> Se exchange, reflecting the similarity of the Fe-S and Fe-Se bonds. The drastic frequency shifts in the metal-ligand region observed upon substitution of sulfur by selenium are, therefore, primarily due to the corresponding mass changes.