Dicobalt hexacarbonyl acetylene complex

Dicobalt hexacarbonyl acetylene complexes are a family of In organocobalt compounds with the formula Co2(C2R2)(CO)6.

They are red compounds that are soluble in organic solvents.

They arise from the reaction of alkynes and dicobalt octacarbonyl:[1] According to X-ray crystallography, the two Co atoms and two alkyne carbons form the vertices of a distorted tetrahedron.

[2] The structure is related to that of methylidynetricobaltnonacarbonyl and tetracobalt dodecacarbonyl, which are also tetrahedranes.

These complexes are intermediates in the Pauson-Khand reaction.