Carbaborane dimetal complexes of molybdenum and tungsten: insertion of a bridging alkylidyne ligand into a boron–hydrogen bond

Abstract

The salt [N(PPh₃)₂][W(CR)(CO)₂(η-1,2-C₂B₉H₉Me₂)](R = C₆H₄Me-4) reacts with the compounds [M(CO)₂(NCMe)₂(η-C₉H₇)][BF₄](M = Mo or W, η-C₉H₇= indenyl) to afford dimetal complexes [MW(µ-CR)(CO)₃-(η-C₉H₇)(η-C₂B₉H₈Me₂)]; treatment of the molybdenum–tungsten species with hex-3-yne affords [MoW{µ-σ,η³-CH(R)(C₂B₉H₈Me₂)}(CO)₃(η-EtC₂Et)(η-C₉H₇)], structurally identified, as was its precursor, by X-ray diffraction.