The terminal chalcogenide complexes
Mo(E)(N[R]Ar)3 (R =
C(CD3)2CH3, Ar =
3,5-C6H3Me2),
where E = O, S, Se, and Te, were prepared by reaction of the
three-coordinate complex Mo(N[R]Ar)3
with
ONC5H5, S8 or
SC2H4, Se, and Te/PEt3 in
respective yields of 72, 63, 80, and 73%. The
Mo(E)(N[R]Ar)3
complexes were studied by EPR, SQUID, cyclic voltammetry,
2H NMR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray
diffraction. Thermolysis of each
Mo(E)(N[R]Ar)3 complex resulted in
(formal) tert-butyl radical elimination
giving molybdenum(VI) chalcogenide complexes
Mo(E)(NAr)(N[R]Ar)2 in yields of 85
(E = O), 84 (E = S),
64 (E = Se) and 40% (E = Te). tert-Butyl
elimination kinetics were monitored (2H NMR) over a
62−104 °C
temperature range for Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3, and
from 66 to 93 °C for Mo(S)(N[R]Ar)3; in
both cases, a first-order
decay was observed. Treatment of
Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3 with iodine (0.5 equiv)
provided [Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3][I]
in 88% yield. The triflate salt
[Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3][O3SCF3]
was prepared similarly (71% yield) upon treatment
of Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3 with
[Cp2Fe][O3SCF3].
Small-scale experiments monitored by 1H NMR
spectroscopy
established that Mo(N[R]Ar)3 deoxygenates
OSMe2, NO2, and SO2 but fails to
deoxygenate CO2. Also
essentially inert to Mo(N[R]Ar)3 were found to
be OPPh3, t-BuNCO, and
O2SMe2. Treatment of
Mo(N[R]Ar)3
with Se2Ph2 provided
Mo(SePh)(N[R]Ar)3 in 72% yield.
Treatment of Mo(N[R]Ar)3 with
CS2 led to Mo(S)(N[R]Ar)3 and
(μ-CS)[Mo(N[R]Ar)3]2; the
latter was isolated in 42% yield and was the subject of an
X-ray
diffraction study. Bond dissociation enthalpies D(MoE)
for Mo(E)(N[R]Ar)3 (E = O and S) were
experimentally
determined to be 155.6 ± 1.6 and 104.4 ± 1.2 kcal
mol-1, respectively. MoE bond lengths
predicted by
density functional B3LYP calculations (lanl2dz + dE basis
set) for the model complexes Mo(E)(NH2)3 (E
=
O, S, Se, and Te) were found to compare favorably with the
experimentally determined MoE bond lengths.
Predicted bond dissociation enthalpies D(MoE) for the
hypothetical complexes Mo(E)(NH2)3
are 91 (E = Se)
and 71 (E = Te) kcal mol-1. A key
finding is that Mo(N[R]Ar)3
selectively splits the nitrous oxide N−N
bond to give Mo(N)(N[R]Ar)3 and
Mo(NO)(N[R]Ar)3, despite the fact that the
oxo complex Mo(O)(N[R]Ar)3
possesses a very strong Mo−O bond and can be prepared by an alternate
route.