Ammonia is released from the metallo-imide ~~~~s -[ W ( N H ) ( O M ~) ( P ~~P C H ~C H ~P P ~~) ~] + without degradation of the phosphine ligand assembly by a hydrolysis reaction which gives the oxide trans-[WOCI(Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2)21+; and this oxide and its Mo analogue are reduced at a mercury cathode in the presence of molecular nitrogen with phenol as a proton source to give ~~~~s -[ M ( N ~) ~( P ~~P C H ~C H ~P P ~~) ~](M = Mo or W); the primary reduction potentials of the Mo and W oxides are substantially positive of those of their isostructural imide counterparts and this suggests a possible role for oxides in biological nitrogen fixation.

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