Synthesis and characterisation of molybdenum complexes bearing highly functionalised imido substituents

The monofunctionalised anilines 2-(H2N)C6H4X (where X = CO2H, SO3H, or CN) reacted with sodium molybdate in the presence of NEt3 and SiMe3Cl in refluxing dme (1,2-dimethoxyethane) to give [NEt3H][MoCl3-{2-(HN)C6H4CO2} {2-Me3SiO2CC6H4N}] 1, [NEt3H](2)[MoCl3{2-NC6H4SO3}{2-(HN)C6H4SO3}] 2 and [MoCl2-(2NCC(6)H(4)N)(2)(dme)] 3 Treatment of sodium molybdate with anthranilic acid and 2,6-(Pr2C6H3NH2)-C-i in a 1 : 1 ratio afforded [NEt3H][MoCl3{2-(HN)C6H4CO2}(NC6H3Pr2i-2,6)]4. Products of reactions of sodium molybdate with the amino acid 2,2-diphenylglycine and 2-aminoterephthalic acid, namely [NEt3H][Mo-Cl-3(NCHPh2)(H2NCPh2CO2)] 5 and [NEt3H][MoCl3{2-HNC6H3CO2(CO2H)-1,4}{2-NC6H3(CO2H)(2)-1,4}]6 respectively are also reported. Complexes 1 to 6 have been structurally characterised; all contain pseudooctahedral geometries about the metal centre, and all except 3 are salts in which the anion contains a mer arrangement of chloride ligands.