Phosphorus–carbon bond cleavage at a dimolybdenum centre: isomerisation of [Mo2(CO)3(PPh3)(µ-HC2H)(η-C5H5)2] to [Mo2(CO)2(µ-PPh2){µ-η3-HC2(H)C(O)Ph}(η-C5H5)2]

Abstract

The µ-ethyne complex [Mo₂(CO)₄(µ-HC₂H)(η-C₅H₅)₂] undergoes and initial substitution reaction with PPh₃ to give [Mo₂(CO)₃(PPh₃)(µ-HC₂H)(η-C₅H₅)₂], followed by phenyl migration from phosphorus to CO then benzoyl migration to the alkyne, yielding the isomer [Mo₂(CO)₂(µ-PPh₂){µ-HC₂(H)C(O)Ph}(η-C₅H₅)₂], structurally characterised by X-ray diffraction.