The quadruply bonded molybdenum dimer[Mo
2{
-
2-(NPh)
2CNHPh}
4](
1), bridged by four triphenylguanidineanion (guanidino) ligands, has been synthesized and structurallycharacterized. The guanidino ligands greatlystabilize the oxidized forms of this complex, and it is reversiblyoxidized to the red monocation and the bluedication at readily accessible potentials(
E1/2 = -0.05 and +0.85 V
vsAg/AgCl, respectively). The [Mo
2{
-
2-(NPh)
2CNHPh}
4]
+cation (
2) has also been structurally characterized as its[BF
4]
- salt showing that theMo-Mo distance increases from 2.0839(9) to 2.2902(12) Å onoxidation, an unprecedented increase for such systemsand almost 4 times that previously observed for a[Mo
2]
4+/5+ pair. TheN-Mo-Mo-N torsion angle is alsofound to increase from 4.5 to 7.6
on oxidation. Thecrystallographic data are as follows.
1·2.2Et
2O:C
84.8H
86Mo
2N
12O
2.2, monoclinic,
P2/
n,
a = 13.127(3) Å,
b = 14.335(3) Å,
c = 22.752(3) Å,
= 90.434(13)
,
Z = 2.
2[BF
4]
-·3CH
2Cl
2:C
79H
70BCl
6F
4Mo
2N
12,monoclinic,
P2
1/
c,
a=13.426(3) Å,
b = 23.693(7) Å,
c = 23.573(7)Å,
= 92.93(2)
,
Z = 4.