Novel high-yield method for the synthesis of [Os3(CO) 10(μ-H)(μ-OSiR2R′)] species and X-ray characterization of [Os3(CO)10(μ-H)(μ-OSiPh 2OSiPh 2OH)] and [Os3(CO)10 (μ-H)(μ-OSiPh2OH)], first molecular models of osmium surface species anchored to vicinal

The easy replacement of the hydroxy ligand in [Os3(CO)10(μ-H)(μ-OH)] by siloxy ligands affords a high-yield procedure to model compounds of the type [Os3(CO)10(μ-H)(μ-OSiR2R′)] (R = Et, Ph; R′ = Et, Ph, OH, OSiPh2OH), a springboard to better understand the reactivity of osmium carbonyl species on the silica surface. The new clusters [Os3(CO)10(μ-H)(μ-OSiPh2-OH)] and [Os3(CO)10(μ-H)(μ-OSiPh2OSiPh 2OH)], characterized by X-ray crystallography, represent the first molecular models of silica-anchored [Os3(CO)10(μ-H)(μ-OSi≡)] having a ligand that mimics surface geminal and vicinal silanols, respectively.