Mono- or polynuclear surface species: Models and tendencies with cobalt and rhodium

Models of surface reactions of cobalt and rhodium carbonyls with oxide or thiolate type supports were prepared and characterized. For Co carbonyls it was found that simple noncarbonyl ligands that can be formed in reductive CO reactions may promote clusterification under conditions where the support alone causes declusterification. Model complexes of the interaction of rhodium with silica and aromatic thiolate supports were structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction. Model compounds indicate that organic thiolate supports promote clusterification with cobalt and declusterification with rhodium. © 1992.