MONONUCLEAR COPPER(II) AND BINUCLEAR MOLYBDENUM(II,II) (-)-MENTHOXYACETATE COMPLEXES

Menthoxyacetic acid [(-)-mentH] reacts with basic copper(II) carbonate, CuCO3.Cu(OH)2, to give the mononuclear complex [Cu((-)-ment)2] (1) in which the two (-)-ment- ligands chelate to the metal by using one carboxylate oxygen and the ether oxygen. Reaction of (-)-mentH with the dicationic dimolybdenum(II,II) complex salt cis-[Mo2(mu-O2CCH3)2(MeCN)6][BF4]2 yielded the corresponding salt [Mo2(mu-(-)-ment)2 (MeCN)4][BF4]2 (2), where each of the (-)-menthoxyacetate ligands are bridging bidentate via their two carboxylate oxygens. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (dphenH) reacts with [Mo2(mu-O2CCH3)4] to give the neutral complex [Mo2(mu-dphen)4].3MeOH (3). Complex 2 is an efficient catalyst for the ring-opening polymerization of bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene (norborene).