Four [Tp*W(μ3-S)3Cu3(μ3-Br)]-based clusters: synthesis, structural characterization and third-order NLO properties.

Treatment of [Et(4)N][Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)(CuBr)(3)] (Tp* = hydridotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate) (1) with an excess of α-methylpyridine (α-MePy) and NH(4)PF(6) in CH(2)Cl(2) afforded a cationic cluster [Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(α-MePy)(3)(μ(3)-Br)](PF(6)) (2) while the reaction of 1 with an excess of 1,4-pyrazine (1,4-pyz) and NH(4)PF(6) in MeCN-CH(2)Cl(2) at 65 °C produced a polymeric cluster [Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(1,4-pyz)((1,4-pyz)(0.5))(2)(μ(3)-Br)][Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)(CuBr)(3)] (3). Reactions of 1 with melamine (MA) in 1:1 or 1:2 gave rise to another polymeric cluster [{Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)Br(μ(3)-Br)}(2)(MA)(2)] (4) and a neutral cluster [Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)Br(μ(3)-Br)(MA)(2)] (5), respectively. Compounds 2-5 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, UV-vis spectra, (1)H NMR, electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectra and X-ray crystallography. The cation of 2 has a cubane-like [Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(μ(3)-Br)] structure with each α-MePy ligand coordinated at one Cu(i) center. For 3, each [Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(μ(3)-Br)] core is interconnected by 1,4-pyz bridges to form a 1D cationic zigzag chain with the [Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)(CuBr)(3)](-) anions arranged along its two sides. For 4, each [Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(μ(3)-Br)] core is interlinked by MA bridges to afford a 1D spiral chain. 5 adopts a cubane-like [Tp*W(μ(3)-S)(3)Cu(3)(μ(3)-Br)] structure in which one terminal Br and two MA ligands are coordinated at three Cu centers. The third-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of 1-5 in DMF were investigated by femtosecond degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) technique with a 80 fs pulse width at 800 nm. Compounds 1-5 exhibit good NLO responses, and 3 and 4 possess the largest second-order hyperpolarizability γ values among the known W/Cu/S clusters bearing the [Tp*WS(3)] unit.