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A new representative of an unusual family of metallagermaniumsesquioxanes, namely the heterometallic cagelike phenylgermsesquioxane (PhGeO 2 ) 12 Cu 2 Fe 5 (O)OH(PhGe) 2 O 5 (bipy) 2 (2), was synthesized and structurally characterized. Fe(III) ions of the complex are coordinated by oxa ligands: (i) cyclic (PhGeO 2 ) 12 and acyclic (Ph 2 Ge 2 O 5 ) germoxanolates and (ii) O 2- and (iii) HO - moieties. In turn, Cu(II) ions are coordinated by both oxa (germoxanolates) and aza ligands (2,2'-bipyridines). This "hetero-type" of ligation gives in sum an attractive pagoda-like molecular architecture of the complex 2. Product 2 showed a high catalytic activity in the oxidation of alkanes to the corresponding alkyl hydroperoxides (in yields up to 30%) and alcohols (in yields up to 100%) and in the oxidative formation of benzamides from alcohols (catalyst loading down to 0.4 mol % in Cu/Fe).

The synthesis, composition, and catalytic properties of a new family of hexanuclear Cu(II)-based phenylsilsesquioxanes are described here. Structural studies of 17 synthesized compounds revealed the general principle underlying their molecular topology: viz., a central metal oxide layer consisting of two Cu 3 trimers is coordinated by two cyclic [PhSiO 1.5 ] 5 siloxanolate ligands to form a skewed sandwich architecture with the composition [(PhSiO 1.5 ) 10 (CuO) 6 ] 2+ . In addition to this O ligation by the siloxanolate rings, two opposite copper ions are additionally coordinated by the nitrogen atoms of corresponding N ligand(s), such as 2,2'-bipyridine (compounds 1-9), 1,10-phenanthroline (compounds 10-13), mixed 1,10-phenanthroline/2,2'-bipyridine (compound 14), or bathophenanthroline (compounds 15-17). Finally, the charge balance is maintained by two HO - (compounds 1-7, 10-13, and 15-17), two H 3 CO - (compound 8), or two CH 3 COO - (compounds 9 and 14) anions. Complexes 1 and 10 exhibited a high activity in the oxidative amidation oxidation of alcohols. Compounds 1, 10, and 15 are very efficient homogeneous catalysts in the oxidation of alkanes and alcohols with peroxides.