Reactivity of [Cp*Mo(CO)3Me] with chalcogenated borohydrides Li[BH2E3] and Li[BH3EFc] (Cp*= (η 5-C5Me5); E = S, Se or Te; Fc = (C5H5-Fe-C5H4))

Reactivity of [Cp*Mo(CO) 3Me], 1 with various chalcogenide ligands such as Li[BH 2 E 3] and Li[BH 3EFc] (E = S, Se or Te; Fc = (C 5 H 5-Fe-C 5 H 4)) has been described. Room temperature reaction of 1 with Li[BH 2 E 3] (E = S and Se) yielded metal chalcogenide complexes [Cp*Mo(CO) 2(η 2-S 2 CCH 3)], 2 and [Cp*Mo(CO) 2(η 1-SeC 2 H 5)], 3. In compound 2, {Cp*Mo(CO) 2} fragment adopts a four-legged piano-stool geometry with a η 2-dithioacetate moiety. In contrast, treatment of 1 with Li[BH 3(EFc)] (E = S, Se or Te; Fc = C 5 H 5-Fe-C 5 H 4) yielded borate complexes [Cp*Mo(CO) 2(μ-H)(μ-EFc)BH 2], 4-6 in moderate yields. Compounds 4-6 are too unstable and gradual conversion to [{Cp*Mo(CO) 2} 2(μ-H)(μ-EFc] (7: E = S; 8: Se) and [{Cp*Mo(CO) 2} 2(μ-TeFc) 2], 9 happened by subsequent release of BH 3. All the compounds have been characterized by mass spectrometry, IR, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy and structures were unequivocally established by crystallographic analysis for compounds 2, 3 and 7.