Transition metal clusters as precursors for hybrid materials

Christiane PERRIN

Université de Rennes 1, Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, UMR CNRS 6226

Avenue du Général Leclerc, 35042 Rennes cedex (France)

christiane.perrin@univ-rennes1.fr

 Early transition metal cluster compounds with metal-metal bonds, built from octahedral face-capped M₆Lⁱ₈L^a₆ (M = transition metal; L = halogen and/or chalcogen; i = inner; a = apical) cluster units, are found in low oxidation states of molybdenum and rhenium chemistry. They are prepared by solid state chemistry at high temperature and exhibit a great numbers of architectures due to the various types of connections that can be built between the M₆Lⁱ₈L^a₆ building blocks. Some of these compounds are soluble in organic solvents giving access to discrete M₆Lⁱ₈L^a₆ cluster units and they constitute relevant precursors for elaboration of hybrid organic/inorganic materials by soft chemistry techniques. Indeed, the M₆Lⁱ₈ cluster core constitutes a rigid block, while the apical ligands are more labile that allows the exchange of these L a ligands for organic or organometallic ones. Various examples of metathesis or ligand exchange will be presented, giving access for instance to hybrid organic/inorganic compounds, hybrid nanoobjects, cluster-dendrimer assemblings, functionalized surfaces, luminescent silicate nanoparticules in which the physical properties of the cluster units are maintained.