Unsaturated dinickel–molybdenum clusters with N-heterocyclic carbene ligands

Abstract

The first examples of mixed metal trinuclear clusters carrying N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands were isolated from reactions of the complexes [Ni(NHC)ClCp] [NHC = bis-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)- or bis-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-imidazol-2-ylidene] with [Mo(CO)₃Cp]⁻; the unsaturated 46-electron clusters have triangular MoNi₂ cores and the reaction pathway activates usually inert Ni–Cp and Ni–NHC bonds.