Thiolato-bridged dimolybdenum complexes with metal–metal bond orders of 0 and 2: X-ray structures of [Mo2(CO)4(µ-SPh)2(η-C5H5)2].0·5[Mo2(SPh)2(O)2(µ-O)(η-C5H5)2] and [Mo2(CO)2(µ-SBut)2(η-C5H5)2]

Abstract

The complexes [Mo₂(CO)₄(µ-SR)₂(η-C₅H₅)₂](R = Me, Bu^t, Ph, p-tolyl), which do not contain metal–metal bonds, decarbonylate readily on heating to produce [Mo₂(CO)₂(µ-SR)₂(η-C₅H₅)₂], containing a formal double metal–metal bond; the structures of [Mo₂(CO)₄(µ-SPh)₂(η-C₅H₅)₂] and [Mo₂(CO)₂(µ-SBu^t)₂(η-C₅H₅)₂] have been established by X-ray diffraction.