Unexpected coupling of Cp and two RNC ligands at a Mo2(μ-SMe)3 nucleus
Abstract
Reaction of the bis-isonitrile complex [Mo2-Cp2(μ-SMe)3(t-BuNC)2] (BF4) (1) with n-BuLi (in hexane) produced the dealkylated derivative [Mo2Cp2(μ-SMe)3-(t-BuNC)(CN)] (2) in quantitative yield. However, upon treatment with either NaOH (suspension) or (Me4N)OH (in MeOH), 1 was converted into a mixture of 2 and the μ-alkylidyne species [Mo2Cp(μ-SMe)3μ-(η5-C5 H4)(t-BuN)-CN(t-Bu)C] (3), in which a deprotonated Cp and both isonitrile ligands of 1 are now linked by new carbon-carbon and carbon-nitrogen bonds.