Photolysis of Dimetallatetrahedrane Compounds in Nujol Glass Matrices ca. 77 K. Tom Bitterwolf¹, J. Tim Bays², Bruce Scallorn¹, and Callie Weiss¹. (1) Department of Chemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-2343. (2) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, P. O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352.

Photolysis of dimetallatetrahedrane compounds such as Fe(CO)₆(µ-S₂), Fe₂(CO)₆(µ-SR)₂, Co₂(CO)₆(µ-C₂R₂), and Co₂(CO)₆(µ-P₂) have been examined at ca. 77 K in Nujol glass. Under these conditions, high energy photolysis results in CO loss. Photolysis of Fe₂(CO)₆(µ-(R₂N-P-CO-P-NR₂) under similar conditions results in loss of CO from the bridging phosphine ligand with the formation of a previously unknown D_2h intermediate. Solution reactions of these compounds will be reviewed in the light of these matrix observations.