Amidine Production by the Addition of NH3 to Nitrile(s) Bound to and Activated by the Lewis Acidic [Re6(μ3-Se)8]2+ Cluster Core

Acetonitrile bound to and activated by the Lewis acidic [Re6(μ3-Se)8]2+ cluster core was transformed into acetamidine in quantitative yield using NH3 as the nucleophile at room temperature. The amidine ligand was removed by treating the cluster–acetamidine complexes with trifluoroacetic acid in CH3CN, affording amidinium trifluoroacetate and the starting acetonitrile complexes.