Low temperature allene coupling and isomerization at triosmium clusters

Facile coupling and isomerization of allene (CH₂CCH₂) has been found on its interaction at low temperatures with [H₂Os₃(CO)₁₀] to give the di-allyl species [Os₃(μ₃-η¹:η²:η³-C₆H₈)(CO)₁₀] (1) and [Os₃(μ₃-η¹:η²:η³-C₆H₈)(CO)₉] (2) in which two allene molecules are bonded in an end-to-centre array. Cluster 2 converts either in solution or in the solid state into two different species: the colourless derivative [Os₃H(μ₃-η¹:η¹:η¹:η²-C₆H₇)(CO)₉] (3) and the metallocyclopentadiene [Os₃(μ-η¹:η¹:η²:η²-C₆H₈)(CO)₉] (4), which could be regarded as the result of 1,3-hydrogen shifts of the coupled allene at triosmium clusters.