Electrochemical transformation of the molybdenum nitrosyl [Mo(NO)Cl(dttd)] dttd = 1,2-bis(2-mercaptophenylthio)ethane to give the oxide [MoO(1,2-C6H4S2)2]2– and either ammonia by protic attack or nitrite by oxygenation: new reactions which involve ethylene extrusion from the backbone of the sulphur ligand

Abstract

Ethylene is released from the backbone of the sulphur ligand 1,2-bis(2-mercaptophenylthio)ethane, dttd, in [Mo(NO)Cl(dttd)]A by electroreduction and the nitrosyl dithiolene product [Mo(NO)(1,2-C₆H₄S₂)₂]^3–B^3– reacts with dioxygen to give free nitrite and the oxide [MoO(1,2-C₆H₄S₂)₂]^2–C^2–: in the presence of phenol, multi-electron reduction of A also releases ethylene and incurs the cleavage of the NO bond giving ammonia and the same oxide C^2–.