Bimetallic-induced tail-to-tail dimerization and C–H activation of methyl acrylate

Abstract

An organometallic complex resulting from tail-to-tail dimerization and C–H activation of methyl acrylate (MA), [Mo(CO)₂Cp{η³-(MeO₂C)CHCHCHCH₂(CO₂Me)] 2, has been fully characterized from the reaction of the heterobimetallic complex [Cp*NiMo(μ-CO)(CO)₂Cp] with MA and an exclusively η³-allyl bonding mode of the coupled ligand was established for the first time by X-ray diffraction; formation of 2 is accompanied by that of the μ₃-alkylidyne-capped cluster [NiMo₂(μ₃-CCH₂CO₂Me)(CO)₄Cp*Cp₂] 3 which results from a double C–H activation of the CH₂ group of MA; none of these reactions occur with the corresponding homodinuclear complexes.