No abstract

The oxo-sulfido functional group cis-MoVIOS is essential to the activity of the xanthine oxidase family of enzymes but has proven elusive to synthesis in molecules containing no other four-electron ligands. A direct route to molecules containing this group has been achieved. The reaction system [MoO2(OSiPh3)2]/L in dichloromethane yields the complexes [MoVIO2(OSiPh3)2L] (L = phen (1), Me4phen (2), 4,4‘-Me2bpy (3), 5,5‘-Me2bpy (4), 2 py (5)) (74−96%), which are shown to have a distorted octahedral structure of crystallographically imposed C 2 symmetry (1, 5) with cis oxo and trans silyloxy ligands. The related reaction system [MoO3S]2-/2Ph3SiCl/L in acetonitrile affords the complexes [MoVIOS(OSiPh3)2L] (L = phen (6), Me4phen (7), 4,4‘-Me2bpy (8), 5,5‘-Me2bpy (9)) (36−69%). From the collective results of elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, 1H NMR, and X-ray structure determinations (6, 7), complexes 6−9 are shown to contain the cis-MoVIOS group in molecules with the same overall stereochemistry as dioxo complexes 1−5. The crystal structures of 6 and 7 exhibit O/S disorder, which was modeled in refinements with 50% site occupancies. The MoO (1.607(5) (6), 1.645(5) (7) Å) and MoS (2.257(3) (6), 2.203(2) (7) Å) bond distances obtained in this way are somewhat shorter and longer, respectively, than expected. Distances obtained by molybdenum EXAFS analysis using the GNXAS protocol for 6−9 (MoO 1.71−1.72 Å; MoS 2.18−2.19 Å) are considered more satisfactory and are in good agreement with EXAFS values for xanthine oxidase. Molybdenum K-edge data for 1 and 6−9 are reported. Reaction of 7 with Ph3P in dichloromethane results in sulfur abstraction and formation of [MoVOCl(OSiPh3)2(Me4phen)] (10), which has a distorted octahedral structure with cis O/Cl and cis silyloxy ligands. Sulfur rather than oxygen abstraction is favored by relative MoO/MoS bond strengths. Complexes 6−9 should allow exploration of the biologically significant cis-MoVIOS group.