Dinitrogen and related compounds of molybdenum with the tripodal phosphines N(CH2CH2PPh2)3 or P(CH2CH2PPh2)3 as coligands

Abstract

The reduction of [MoCl₃{N(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₃}] with a sodium dispersion in tetrahydrofuran (thf) under a dinitrogen atmosphere yields the unstable complex cis-[Mo(N₂)₂{N(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₃}], which decomposes in a few days even in solution under dinitrogen. Studies of the chemical reactivity of this compound towards carbon monoxide, PMe₃, Mel and CF₃CO₂H have been carried out and the complexes [Mo(CO)₃L], [Mo(PMe₃)₃L], [Mol₂L] and [Mo(CF₃CO₂)₂L][L = N(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₃] have been isolated and identified. The reduction of the analogous complex [MoCl₃{P(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₃}] gives unstable trans-[Mo(N₂)₂{P(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₃}]. The ligand-substitution reaction of cis-[Mo(N₂)₂(PMe₃)₄] with N(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₃ yields the complex cis-[Mo(N₂)(PMe₃){N(CH₂CH₂PPh₂)₃}].