Unusual molybdenum mediated C–N bond activationElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: characterisation of complexes 2 and 3, 1H NMR spectra of 1–3 and space-filling diagram of 2. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/cc/b1/b101894i/

Abstract

The compounds [Mo(NPh)(η²-olefin){o-(Me₃SiN) ₂C₆H₄}] (olefin = propene 1a or isobutene 1b) react with excess pyridine affording the Mo(IV) bis-pyridine complex, [Mo(NPh)(Py)₂{o-(Me₃SiN)₂C ₆H₄}] 2 which when heated to 90 °C in toluene undergoes a C–N bond cleavage reaction and is converted to 3, a bimetallic molybdenum species; the crystal structures of both 2 and 3 are reported.