Electronic interactions in multicluster arrays. An electrochemical approach. Part I

An electrochemical study on the electronic interactions occurring between the two ‘CCo 3 (CO) 9 ’ redox cores in the dimers Co 3 (CO) 9 (CC)Co 3 (CO) 9 and Co 3 (CO) 9 (CCCC)Co 3 (CO) 9 is reported. In both derivatives, two well resolved peaks/waves are observed in several solvents by cyclic, square wave voltammetry and d.c. polarography, respectively, for the (0,0)/(0,1−) and (0,1−)/(1−,1−) reduction processes. The differences in electrode potentials of the two first reductions, Δ E °′, indicate a moderate electronic interaction between the redox centres in both compounds, which mainly occurs via the carbon chains.