Modeling the Formation of Molybdenum Oxides from Alkoxides:  Crystal Structures of [Mo₄O₄Cl₄(μ₂-OEt)₄(HOEt)₂(μ₃-O)₂] and [PPN]⁺[Et₃NH]⁺[Cl₂(O)Mo(μ₂-O)₂Mo(O)Cl₂]^2-

Abstract

The reactions of the binuclear oxomolybdenum(V) complex [Cl(2)(O)Mo(&mgr;-OEt)(2)(&mgr;-HOEt)Mo(O)Cl(2)] (1) with Me(3)Si(allyl) and SbF(3) produce the compounds [Mo(6)O(6)Cl(6)(&mgr;(3)-O)(2)(&mgr;(2)-OEt)(6)(&mgr;(2)-Cl)(2)] (2) and [Mo(8)O(8)Cl(6)(&mgr;(3)-O)(4)(OH)(2)(&mgr;(2)-OH)(4)(&mgr;(2)-OEt)(4)(HOEt)(4)] (3), respectively. Treatment of 1 with the Lewis base PMe(3) affords the tetrameric complex [Mo(4)O(4)Cl(4)(&mgr;(2)-OEt)(4)(HOEt)(2)(&mgr;(3)-O)(2)] (4), which represents another link in the chain of clusters produced by the reactions of 1 and simulating the build-up of polymeric molybdenum oxides by sol-gel methods. The crystal structure of 4 has been determined [C(12)H(32)Cl(4)Mo(4)O(12), triclinic, P&onemacr;, a = 7.376(2) Å, b = 8.807(3) Å, c = 11.467(4) Å, alpha = 109.61(1) degrees, beta = 92.12(3) degrees, gamma = 103.75(2) degrees, Z = 1]. By contrast, reaction of 1 with the nitrogen base NEt(3), followed by treatment with [PPN]Cl.2H(2)O ([PPN](+) = [Ph(3)P=N=PPh(3)](+)), gives the complex [PPN](+)[Et(3)NH](+)[Cl(2)(O)Mo(&mgr;(2)-O)(2)Mo(O)Cl(2)](2)(-) (6) in 90% yield. Its crystal structure [C(36)H(30)Cl(4)MoNOP(2), triclinic, Pna2(1), a = 21.470(6) Å, b = 16.765(2) Å, c = 9.6155(14) Å, alpha = 90 degrees, beta = 90 degrees, gamma = 90 degrees, Z = 16] includes the anion [Cl(2)(O)Mo(&mgr;(2)-O)(2)Mo(O)Cl(2)](2)(-), which is a charged derivative of the species forming the gels in sol-gel processes starting from chloromolybdenum ethoxides. Furthermore, compound 1 is found to be catalytically active in esterification and dehydration reactions of alcohols.