The reaction of Na
2SO
3 withFe(CO)
5/KOH in methanol forms the tetrahedralcluster[SFe
3(CO)
9]
2-in good yield. Acidification of[SFe
3(CO)
9]
2-with H
+ forms the monohydridocluster[SFe
3(
-H)(CO)
9]
-(
I) and the dihydrido clusterSFe
3(
-H)
2(CO)
9.Furt
her methylationof [SFe
3(CO)
9]
2-with MeSO
3CF
3 produces thesulfur-methylated cluster[MeSFe
3(CO)
9]
-(
II).When[SFe
3(CO)
9]
2-is treated with Ru
3(CO)
12 in refluxing acetone,the octahedral cluster[SFe
2Ru
3(CO)
14]
2-(
III) is obtained. Subsequent methylation of
III with MeSO
3CF
3givesthe octahedral cluster[MeSFe
2Ru
3(CO)
14]
-(
IV), in which the sulfur atom ispentacoordinatedto one methyl group and two Ru and two Fe atoms. Clusters
I-
IV have been fullystructurally characterized by spectroscopic methods and X-ray analysis.In this paper, thebasic sites of[SFe
3(CO)
9]
2-are studied in terms of the differing electrophiles, and anovelpentacoordinate bonding mode of the sulfur atom is also found incluster
IV.