Investigations on butterfly Fe/S cluster S-centered anions (mu-S-)2Fe2(CO)6, (mu-S-)(mu-RS)Fe2(CO)6, and related species.

This Account describes the formation and chemical reactivities of the novel butterfly Fe/S cluster anions (mu-S(-))(2)Fe(2)(CO)(6) (I), (mu-S(-))(mu-RS)Fe(2)(CO)(6) (II), (mu-S(-))(mu-RS)[Fe(2)(CO)(6)](2)(mu(4)-S) (III), (mu-S(-))(mu-RS)[Fe(2)(CO)(6)](3)(mu(4)-S)(2) (IV), and {(mu-S(-))(mu(4)-S)[Fe(2)(CO)(6)](2)}(2)(mu-SZS-mu) (V). It also gives a description of the novel structures, unique properties, and wide applications of the corresponding butterfly Fe/S cluster complexes produced from these anions. Anions I-V along with their products are important in the development of organometallic chemistry, cluster chemistry, catalysis, and material and life sciences.