Organic and inorganic templates bearing CCo3(CO)9 cluster fragments: X-ray crystal structures of C(CH2OCOCCl3)4 and of CH3C(O)CHC(OH)MLn where MLn=CCo3(CO)9 or (C6H5)Cr(CO)3

Pentaerythritol and trichloroacetyl chloride react to yield the tetrakis-trichloroacetate ester C(CH 2 -O 2 C-CCl 3 ) 4 , 5, which crystallizes in the triclinic space group [Formula: see text] with a = 9.874(2) Å, b = 11.811(2) Å, c = 12.858(3) Å, α = 114.35(3)°, β = 95.63(3)°, γ = 99.11 (3)°, and V = 1326.5(5) Å 3 for Z = 2. The molecule adopts a geometry in which the trichloroacetate chains fold to produce a flattened tetrahedron, giving a …