Bis(η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)cobalt(II)
Decamethylcobaltocene (CoCp*2) is a widely used reducing agent that is of fundamental importance to the organometallic community, but surprisingly its crystal structure has not been reported in the literature. High-quality yellow-brown crystals were grown from a cold saturated solution in hexamethyldisiloxane, yielding a structure that is isomorphous with FeCp*2 and the low-temperature polymorph of MnCp*2. The CoCp*2 molecule lies in a crystallographic 2/
m position that is consistent with its inversion symmetry and staggered cyclopentadienyl rings.
M.M. Clark, W.W. Brennessel and P.L. Holland