Surface complexes formed from the reactions of Os-3(CO)(12) with silica and alumina are generally represented as (mu-H)(mu-OSi=) Os-3(CO)(10) and (mu-H)(mu-OAl=)Os-3(CO)(10), with a surface oxygen atom bridging two osmium atoms, and as (mu-OSi=)(2)Os-3(CO)(10) and (mu-OAl=)Os-3(CO)(10), in which two surface oxygens bridge the same two osmium atoms. These surface complexes have been modeled employing computer graphics techniques. Models for partially hydroxylated silica and gamma-alumina have been developed and metal-support interaction between (mu-H)Os-3(CO)(10), Os-3(CO)(10), and local regions of support surfaces have been studied. Van der Waals interaction energies, nonbonded contacts as a function of orientation of the cluster with respect to the surface, and possible relaxation of the cluster have been considered. The results indicate that the (mu-H)Os-3(CO)(10) unit appears to bind readily to selected oxygen sites of the silica and alumina with little or no steric restraint. On the other hand, the cluster unit Os-3(CO)(10) is not readily accommodated on either the silica or alumina surfaces by means of a double-oxygen bridge to two osmium atoms without extreme disruption of the surface or the cluster.