Bi- and tri-metallic {Cp*RhCl} fragments partnered with carborane monoanions [CB11H6Y6]? (Y = H, Br): control of nuclearity by choice of anion

Reaction of [Cp*RhCl2]2 (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) with Ag[closo-CB11H12] affords the dinuclear salt [Cp*RhCl]2[CB11H12]2 (1), which in the solid state reveals a single carborane anion interacting with two {Cp*RhCl} fragments, via two B[BOND]H[BOND]Rh interactions. With Ag[closo-CB11H6Br6] the trimetallic complex [{Cp*Rh(µ2-Cl)} 3(µ3-Cl)][closo-CB11H6Br6]2 (2) results. In the solid state, three metal fragments and four chloride ligands form seven-corners of a cube, and the eighth vertex is completed by a cage C[BOND]H unit hydrogen bonded to three bridging chloride ligands.