The reaction of gem-dithiol compounds R 2C(SH) 2 (R = Bn (benzyl), (i) Pr; R 2 = -(CH 2) 4-) with dinuclear rhodium or iridium complexes containing basic ligands such as [M(mu-OH)(cod)] 2 and [M(mu-OMe)(cod)] 2, or the mononuclear [M(acac)(cod)] (M = Rh, Ir, cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) in the presence of a external base, afforded the dinuclear complexes [M 2(mu-S 2CR 2)(cod) 2] ( 1- 4). The monodeprotonation of 1,1-dimercaptocyclopentane gave the mononuclear complex [Rh(HS 2Cptn)(cod)] ( 5) that is a precursor for the dinuclear compound [Rh 2(mu-S 2Cptn)(cod) 2] ( 6). Carbonylation of the diolefin compounds gave the complexes [Rh 2(mu-S 2CR 2)(CO) 4] ( 7- 9), which reacted with P-donor ligands to stereoselectively produce the trans isomer of the disubstituted complexes [Rh 2(mu-S 2CR 2)(CO) 2(PR' 3) 2] (R' = Ph, Cy (cyclohexyl)) ( 10- 13) and [Rh 2(mu-S 2CBn 2)(CO) 2{P(OR') 3} 2] (R' = Me, Ph) ( 14- 15). The substitution process in [Rh 2(mu-S 2CBn 2)(CO) 4] ( 7) by P(OMe) 3 has been studied by spectroscopic means and the full series of substituted complexes [Rh 2(mu-S 2CBn 2)(CO) 4- n {P(OR) 3} n ] ( n = 1, 4) has been identified in solution. The cis complex [Rh 2(mu-S 2CBn 2)(CO) 2(mu-dppb)] ( 16) was obtained by reaction of 7 with the diphosphine dppb (1,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)butane). The molecular structures of the diolefinic dinuclear complexes [Rh 2(mu-S 2CR 2)(cod) 2] (R = Bn ( 1), (i) Pr ( 2); R 2 = -(CH 2) 4- ( 6)) and that of the cis complex 16 have been studied by X-ray diffraction.