Selenidobis(dithiolene)molybdenum(IV) and -tungsten(IV) complexes were synthesized and characterized by several methods including X-ray crystallographic analysis. The five-coordinate M (V)Se species were accessed by one-electron oxidation of the M (IV)Se complexes. M (VI)Se complexes were suggested to be formed as an intermediate in oxygen atom transfer from Me 3NO to the M (IV)Se centers.

Sulfurization of five-coordinate [W(IV)O(1,2-benzenedithiolate)(2)](2-) proceeds under very mild conditions to form seven-coordinate [W(VI)O(eta(2)-S(2))(1,2-benzenedithiolate)(2)](2-), from which H(2)S was generated by treatment with H(2). This is the first functional model for the fourth tungsten-containing WOR4 enzyme. Kinetics and isotope-scrambling experiments have suggested the existence of six-coordinate W(V)(eta(1)-S(2)) species as a key reaction intermediate.

Electron transfer oxidation reaction of bis(dithiolene)monooxomolybdenum(iv) (Mo(IV)OL(x)) complexes is studied as a model of oxidative-half reaction of arsenite oxidase molybdenum enzymes. The reactions are revealed to involve proton-coupled electron transfer. Electrochemical oxidation of Mo(IV)OL(x) yields the corresponding bis(dithiolene)dioxomolybdenum(vi) complexes in basic solution, where the conversion of Mo(IV)OL(dmed) supported by a smaller electron donating dithiolene ligand (1,2-dicarbomethoxyethylene-1,2-dithiolate, L(dmed)) to Mo(VI)O(2)L(dmed) is faster than that of Mo(IV)OL(bdt) with a larger electron donating dithiolene ligand (1,2-benzenedithiolate, L(bdt)) under the same conditions. Titration experiments for the electrochemical oxidation reveal that the reaction involves two-electron oxidation and two equivalents of OH(-) consumption per Mo(IV)OL(x). In the conversion process of Mo(IV)OL(x) to Mo(VI)O(2)L(x), the five-coordinate bis(dithiolene)monooxomolybdenum(v) complex (Mo(V)OL(x)) being a one-electron oxidized species of Mo(IV)OL(x) is suggested to react with OH(-). Mo(V)OL(x) reacts with OH(-) in CH(3)CN or C(2)H(5)CN in a 2 : 2 ratio to give one equivalent Mo(IV)OL(x) and one equivalent Mo(VI)O(2)L(x), which is confirmed by the UV-vis and IR spectroscopies. The low temperature stopped-flow analysis allows investigations of the mechanism for the reaction of Mo(V)OL(x) with OH(-). The kinetic study for the reaction of Mo(V)OL(dmed) with OH(-) suggests that Mo(V)OL(dmed) reacts with OH(-) to give a six-coordinate oxo-hydroxo-molybdenum(v) species, Mo(V)O(OH), and, then, the resulting species undergoes successive deprotonation by another OH(-) and oxidation by a remaining Mo(V)OL(dmed) to yield the final products Mo(IV)OL(dmed) and Mo(VI)O(2)L(dmed) complexes in a 1 : 1 ratio. In this case, the Mo(V)O(2) species are involved as an intermediate in the reaction. On the other hand, in the reaction of Mo(V)OL(bdt) with OH(-), coordination of OH(-) to the Mo(V) centre to give a six-coordinate Mo(V)O(OH)L(bdt) species becomes the rate limiting step and other intermediates are not suggested. On the basis of these results, the ligand effects of the dithiolene ligands on the reactivity of the bis(dithiolene)molybdenum complexes are discussed.