Reaction of Mo(CO)6 with alkoxide:: Synthesis and structure of the Mo(0)-OR complex [Et4N]3[Mo2(CO)6(μ-OC6H4OCH2C6H5)3]

The reaction of molybdenum hexacarbonyl with C6H5CH2OC6H4ONa and Et4NBr in CH3CN at 60 degrees C afforded the di-nuclear Mo(0) compound [Et4N]3[MO2(CO)6(,mu-OC6H4OCH2-C6H5)(3)] 1.1 crystallizes in monoclinic, space group P2(l)/c with a = 15.359(2), b = 18.378(3), c = 24.952(2) angstrom, beta = 102.268(4)degrees, V = 6882.3(16) angstrom(3), M-r = 1348.34, Z = 4, D-c = 1.301 g/cm(3), F(000) = 2832 and mu = 0.424 mm(-1). The final R = 0.0606 and wR = 0.1552 for 9396 observed reflections (I > 2 sigma(I)). 1 contains a [Mo2O3](3-) core in triangular bi-pyramidal configuration and each Mo atom adopts a distorted octahedral geometry with three carbon atoms from carbonyls and three mu-O atoms from C6H5CH2OC6H4O- bridging ligands. The Mo center dot center dot center dot Mo distance is 3.30(g) angstrom, indicating no metal-metal bonding. A fort-nation pathway via forming a di-molybdenum(0) di-bridging OR compound [Mo-2(mu-OR)(2)(CO)(8)](2)- has been figured out and the reaction of Mo(CO)(6) with alkoxide has also been discussed.