C-C and C-N Couplings Following Hydride Addition on Isocyanide Cyclopolyenyl Dimolybdenum Complexes to Give Tethered Aldimine and Aminocarbene Derivatives.

Reaction of [Mo2 Cp2 (μ-κ1 :κ1 ,η6 -PMes*)(CO)2 ] with S or Se followed by protonation with [H(OEt2 )2 ](BAr'4 ) gave the cationic derivatives [Mo2 Cp2 {μ-κ2P,E :κ1P ,η5 -EP(C6 H3 tBu3 )}(CNR)(CO)2 ](BAr'4 ) (E=S; R=tBu, iPr, Ph, 4-C6 H4 OMe, Xyl; or E=Se; R=tBu; Ar'=3,5-C6 H3 (CF3 )2 ). Reaction of the latter with K[BHsBu3 ] yielded the aldimine complexes [Mo2 Cp2 {μ-κ2P,E :κ2P,N ,η4 -SP(C6 H3 tBu3 (CHNR))}(CO)2 ] and their aminocarbene isomers [Mo2 Cp2 {μ-κ2P,E :κ2P,C ,η4 -SP(C6 H3 tBu3 (NRCH))}(CO)2 ] (R ≠ Xyl), following C-C and C-N couplings, respectively. Monitoring of these reactions revealed that the initial H- attack takes place at a Cp ligand to give cyclopentadiene intermediates [Mo2 Cp{μ-κ2P,S :κ1P ,η5 -SP(C6 H3 tBu3 )}(η4 -C5 H6 )(CNR)(CO)2 ], which then undergo C-H oxidative addition to give the hydride isomers [Mo2 Cp2 {μ-κ2P,S :κ1P ,η3 -SP(C6 H3 tBu3 )}(H)(CNR)(CO)2 ]. In turn, the latter rearrange to give the aldimine and aminocarbene complexes. DFT calculations revealed that the hydride intermediates first undergo migratory insertion of the isocyanide ligand into the Mo-H bond to give unobservable formimidoyl intermediates, which then evolve either by nucleophilic attack of the N atom on the C6 ring (C-N coupling) or by migratory insertion of the formimidoyl ligand into the C6 ring (C-C coupling). Our data suggest that increasing the size of the substituent R at the isocyanide ligand destabilizes the aldimine isomer to a greater extent, thus favoring formation of the aminocarbene complex.