Reaction of $Ir_4(CO)_8(PMe_3)_4$ with excess $C_{60}$ in refluxing 1,2-dichlorobenzene, followed by treatment by CNR $(R = CH_2C_6H_5)$ at 70 ℃, affords a fullerene-metal sandwich complex $Ir_4(CO)_3(μ_4-CH)(PMe_3)_2(μ-PMe_2)(CNR)(μ-η^2, η^2-C_{60})(μ_4-η^1,η^1,η^2,η^2-C_{60})$ (1), which exhibits an interesting structural feature of two metal atoms bridging the two $C_{60}$ centers as well as the first example of $μ_4-η^1,η^1,η^2,η^2-C_{60}$ bonding mode. Compound 1 has been characterized by NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction study. Cyclic voltammetry study reveals strong electronic communication between the two $C_{60}$ centers in 1, which is due to the presence of a wide channel of two metal centers between the two $C_{60}$ cages for efficient electronic interaction.
