Synthesis and reactivity of dimolybdathiaborane cluster [(Cp^*Mo)₂B₄SH₆] (Cp^∗ = η⁵-C₅Me₅)

Abstract

Chemistry and reactivity of dimolybdathiaborane, [(Cp∗Mo)₂B₄SH₆], 1, obtained from the reaction of 2-mercaptobenzothiazole, [Cp∗MoCl₄] and [LiBH₄.thf], has been explored with dinuclear metal carbonyl [Fe₂ (CO)₉]. As a result, reaction of 1 with [Fe2(CO)9] yielded heterometallathiaborane, [(Cp∗Mo)₂B₄H₆SFe(CO)₃], 2 in good yield. Both the new compounds have been characterized in solution by ¹H, ¹¹B and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy and the structural types were unequivocally established by X-ray crystallographic analysis of compound 2. Cluster 2 has a bicapped octahedral geometry with the {Fe(CO)₃} fragment occupying one of the high-connectivity cluster vertexes rather than a capping position. Interestingly, cluster 1 undergoes geometric changes (bicapped trigonal bipyramid → bicapped octahedron) on the addition of two-electron {Fe(CO)₃} fragment to 1.