A multilateral mechanistic study into asymmetric transfer hydrogenation in water

The mechanism of aqueous-phase asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of acetophenone (acp) with HCOONa catalyzed by Ru-TsDPEN has been investigated by stoichiometric reactions, NMR probing, kinetic and isotope effect measurements, DFT modeling, and X-ray structure analysis. The chloride [RuCl(TsDPEN)(p-cymene)] (1), hydride [RuH(TsDPEN)(p-cymene)] (3), and the 16-electorn species [Ru(TsDPEN-H)(p-cymene)] (4) were shown to be involved in the aqueous ATH, with 1 being the precatalyst, and 3 as the active catalyst detectable by NMR in both stoichiometric and catalytic reactions. The formato complex [Ru(OCOH)(TsDPEN)(p-cymene)] (2) was not observed; its existence, however, was demonstrated by its reversible decarboxylation to form 3. Both 1 and 3 were protonated under acidic conditions, leading to ring opening of the TsDPEN ligand. 4 reacted with water, affording a hydroxyl species. In a homogeneous DMF/H(2)O solvent, the ATH was found to be first order in the concentration of catalyst and acp, and inhibited by CO(2). In conjunction with the NMR results, this suggests that hydrogen transfer to ketone is the rate-determining step. The addition of water stabilized the ruthenium catalyst and accelerated the ATH reaction; it does so by participating in the catalytic cycle. DFT calculations revealed that water hydrogen bonds to the ketone oxygen at the transition state of hydrogen transfer, lowering the energy barrier by about 4 kcal mol(-1). The calculations also suggested that the hydrogen transfer is more step-wise in nature rather than concerted. This is supported to some degree by the kinetic isotope effects, which were obscured by extensive H/D scrambling.     

Dinuclear metalloradicals featuring unsupported metal-metal bonds

No support required: Unlike the unobservable radical cations [{CpM(CO)(3) }(2) ](.+) (M=W, Mo), derivatives [{CpM(CO)(2) (PMe(3) )}(2) ](.+) are stable enough to be isolated and characterized. Experimental and theoretical studies show that the shortened M?M bonds are of order 1 1/2, and that they are not supported by bridging ligands. The unpaired electron is delocalized over the M?M cores, with a spin density of about 45?% on each metal atom.     

Structure, stability, and cluster-cage interactions in nitride clusterfullerenes M3N@C2n (M = Sc, Y; 2n = 68-98): a density functional theory study

Extensive semiempirical calculations of the hexaanions of IPR (isolated pentagon rule) and non-IPR isomers of C(68)-C(88) and IPR isomers of C(90)-C(98) followed by DFT calculations of the lowest energy structures were performed to find the carbon cages that can provide the most stable isomers of M(3)N@C(2n) clusterfullerenes (M = Sc, Y) with Y as a model for rare earth ions. DFT calculations of isomers of M(3)N@C(2n) (M = Sc, Y; 2n = 68-98) based on the most stable C(2n)(6-) cages were also performed. The lowest energy isomers found by this methodology for Sc(3)N@C(68), Sc(3)N@C(78), Sc(3)N@C(80), Y(3)N@C(78), Y(3)N@C(80), Y(3)N@C(84), Y(3)N@C(86), and Y(3)N@C(88) are those that have been shown to exist by single-crystal X-ray studies as Sc(3)N@C(2n) (2n = 68, 78, 80), Dy(3)N@C(80), and Tb(3)N@C(2n) (2n = 80, 84, 86, 88) clusterfullerenes. Reassignment of the carbon cage of Sc(2)@C(76) to the non-IPR Cs: 17490 isomer is also proposed. The stability of nitride clusterfullerenes was found to correlate well with the stability of the empty 6-fold charged cages. However, the dimensions of the cage in terms of its ability to encapsulate M(3)N clusters were also found to be an important factor, especially for the medium size cages and the large Y(3)N cluster. In some cases the most stable structures are based on the different cage isomers for Sc(3)N and Y(3)N clusters. Up to the cage size of C(84), non-IPR isomers of C(2n)(6-) and M(3)N@C(2n) were found to compete with or to be even more stable than IPR isomers. However, the number of adjacent pentagon pairs in the most stable non-IPR isomers decreases as cage size increases: the most stable M(3)N@C(2n) isomers have three such pairs for 2n = 68-72, two pairs for n = 74-80, and only one pair for n = 82, 84. For C(86) and C(88) the lowest energy IPR isomers are much more stable than any non-IPR isomer. The trends in the stability of the fullerene isomers and the cluster-cage binding energies are discussed, and general rules for stability of clusterfullerenes are established. Finally, the high yield of M(3)N@C(80) (Ih) clusterfullerenes for any metal is explained by the exceptional stability of the C(80)(6-) (Ih: 31924) cage, rationalized by the optimum distribution of the pentagons leading to the minimization of the steric strain, and structural similarities of C(80) (Ih: 31924) with the lowest energy non-IPR isomers of C(760(6-), C(78)(6-), C(82)(6-), and C(84)(6-) pointed out.     

Low-lying electronic states of M(3)O(9)(-) and M(3)O(9)(2-) (M = Mo, W)

Multiple low-lying electronic states of M(3)O(9)(-) and M(3)O(9)(2-) (M = Mo, W) arise from the occupation of the near-degenerate low-lying virtual orbitals in the neutral clusters. We used density functional theory (DFT) and coupled cluster theory (CCSD(T)) with correlation consistent basis sets to study the structures and energetics of the electronic states of these anions. The adiabatic and vertical electron detachment energies (ADEs and VDEs) of the anionic clusters were calculated with 27 exchange-correlation functionals including one local spin density approximation functional, 13 generalized gradient approximation (GGA) functionals, and 13 hybrid GGA functionals, as well as the CCSD(T) method. For M(3)O(9)(-), CCSD(T) and nearly all of the DFT exchange-correlation functionals studied predict the (2)A(1) state arising from the Jahn-Teller distortion due to singly occupying the degenerate e' orbital to be lower in energy than the (2)A(1)' state arising from singly occupying the nondegenerate a(1)' orbital. For W(3)O(9)(-), the (2)A(1) state was predicted to have essentially the same energy as the (2)A(1)' state at the CCSD(T) level with core-valence correlation corrections included and to be higher in energy or essentially isoenergetic with most DFT methods. The calculated VDEs from the CCSD(T) method are in reasonable agreement with the experimental values for both electronic states if estimates for the corrections due to basis set incompleteness are included. For M(3)O(9)(2-), the singlet state arising from doubly occupying the nondegenerate a(1)' orbital was predicted to be the most stable state for both M = Mo and W. However, whereas M(3)O(9)(2-) was predicted to be less stable than M(3)O(9)(-), W(3)O(9)(2-) was predicted to be more stable than W(3)O(9)(-).     

Photodissociation of yttrium and lanthanum oxide cluster cations

Transition metal oxide cations of the form M n O m (+) (M = Y, La) are produced by laser vaporization in a pulsed nozzle source and detected with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Cluster oxides for each value of n form only a limited number of stoichiometries; MO(M2O3)x(+) species are particularly intense. Cluster cations are mass selected and photodissociated using the third harmonic (355 nm) of a Nd:YAG laser. Multiphoton excitation is required to dissociate these clusters because of their strong bonding. Yttrium and lanthanum oxides exhibit different dissociation channels, but some common trends can be identified. Larger clusters for both metals undergo fission to make certain stable cation clusters, especially MO(M2O3) x (+) species. Specific cations are identified to be especially stable because of their repeated production in the decomposition of larger clusters. These include M3O4(+), M5O7(+), M7O10(+), and M9O13(+), along with Y6O8(+). Density functional theory calculations were performed to investigate the relative stabilities and structures of these systems.     

Electronic structures and properties of eight-coordinate metal-polyarsenic complexes MAs8n- (M = V,Nb, Ta,Cr, Mo,W, Mn,Tc, Re)

The eight-coordinate early transition metal polyarsenic complexes, MAs(8)3- (M = V, Nb, Ta), MAs(8)2- (M = Cr, Mo, W), and MAs8- (M = Mn, Tc, Re), have been studied using density functional theory (DFT). The geometry optimizations of these complexes indicate that in the most stable structures the transition metal atoms are trapped in a crownlike cavity consisting of a zigzag eight-membered ring of As8 cluster. The scalar-relativistic effects and spin-orbit coupling effects on the electronic structures and energy levels were taken into account. The stabilities of gas-phase MAs8n- ions and bonding between the As8 ring and early transition metals are discussed on the basis of population analysis, atomization energies, and decomposition reaction energies. All these complex ions are found to be diamagnetic with notable HOMO-LUMO energy gaps. The vibrational frequencies and infrared absorption intensities of the MAs8n- series are predicted theoretically. Brief theoretical calculations of the similar MoA(8)2- pnictide ions indicate that the analogous P, Sb, and even Bi complexes are likely to be stable, whereas the crownlike MoN(8)2- is not a stable complex.     

Theoretical Studies on the Fe-M Interactions and 31P NMR in Fe(CO)3(EtPhPpy)2MX2 (X=NCS,SCN, Cl; M=Zn,Cd, Hg)

To study the Fe?M interactions and their effects on 31P NMR, the structures of Fe(CO)3(EtPhPpy)2 1,Fe(CO)3(EtPhPpy)2M(NCS)2 (2: M=Zn, 3: M=Cd, 4: M=Hg) and Fe(CO)3(EtPhPpy)2CdX2 (5: X=Cl,6: X=SCN) were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) PBE0 method. The stabilities S of complexes follow S(2)>S(3)>S(4) and S(3)≈S(6)>S(5), indicating that 6 is stable and may be synthesized.The complexes with thiocyanate are more stable than that with chloride in Fe(CO)3(EtPhPpy)2CdX2.The strength I of Fe-M interactions follows I(2)≈I(3)相似文献   

Synthesis and structural characterization of monomeric heterobimetallic oxides with a GeII-O-M skeleton (M = Yb, Y)

The germanium hydroxide complexes LGe(mu-O)M(THF)Cp2 (M = Yb, 1; Y, 2; L = HC[C(Me)N(Ar)]2; Ar = 2,6-iPr2C6H3) were prepared by the reaction of LGeOH with Cp3M (M = Yb, Y) in THF at ambient temperature with the elimination of HCp. 1 and 2 are pale-yellow solids. Both compounds crystallize isotypically as monomers in a triclinic space group P (pseudo-merohedrally twinned, two independent molecules) and were found to be stable in the solid state and in solution at room temperature. The six-membered C3N2Ge rings in 1 and 2 display a boat conformation with the germanium and the gamma-C out-of-plane. The Ge-O-M skeleton exhibits a bent arrangement (angles 151-154 degrees ). The 1H NMR investigation of 2 confirmed that the solid-state structure is also found in solution.     

Highly stable self-assembly in water: ion pair driven dimerization of a guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole carboxylate zwitterion

The synthesis of a novel water-soluble guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole carboxylate zwitterion 2 is described, and its self-association in aqueous solutions is studied. Zwitterion 2 forms extremely stable 1:1 dimers which are held together by an extensive hydrogen bonding network in combination with two mutual interacting ion pairs as could be shown by ESI MS and X-ray structure determination. NMR dilution studies in different highly polar solvents showed that dimerization is fast on the NMR time scale with association constants ranging from an estimated 10(10) M(-1) in DMSO to a surprisingly high 170 M(-1) in water. Hence, zwitterion 2 belongs to the most efficient self-assembling systems solely on the basis of electrostatic interactions reported so far. Furthermore, an amidopyridine pyrrole carboxylic acid 10 was developed as a neutral analogue of zwitterion 2, which also dimerizes with an essentially identical hydrogen bonding pattern (according to ESI MS and X-ray structure determination) but lacking the ionic interactions. NMR binding studies demonstrated that the solely hydrogen-bonded neutral dimer of 10 is stable only in organic solvents of low polarity (K > 10(4) M(-1) in CDCl3 but <10 M(-1) in 5% DMSO in CDCl3). The comparison of both systems impressively underlines the importance of ion pair interactions for stable self-association of such H-bonded binding motifs in water.     

One metal and forty nitrogens. Ab initio predictions for possible new high-energy pentazolides

High-energy nitrogen-rich pentazolides of groups 6 and 13-16 are studied theoretically. Many of them have experimentally known azide analogues. Our highest nitrogen-to-element ratio of 40:1 is achieved in the systems [M(N5)8](2-) (M=Cr, Mo, W). The thermodynamic and kinetic stability of the studied systems grows with the negative charge on the system and is highest for tetra-pentazolides and hexa-pentazolides of B, Al, and Si. Systems such as B(N5)4- or Si(N5)6(2-) are examples of the most stable candidates for these new species. N(N5)2- is a candidate for a new all-nitrogen system. Neutral and positive systems were less stable. Pentazole derivatives of "dinuclear" C2Hn and N2Hn systems were investigated and were found to be of comparable stability as their "mononuclear" analogues. Pentazole derivatives of benzene, the C6H(6-n)(N5)n (n=2, 3, 6) systems, have a similar stability as the experimentally known phenylpentazole. A borazine analogue, N3B3H3(N5)3 is predicted to be one of the most stable systems of this family.     

(CH~3)~3M/PH~3(M=Ga,In)体系的密度泛函研究

用密度泛函理论方法对Me~3M/PH~3(Me=CH~3,M=Ga,In)体系及相关的一些分子进行了计算,得到优化几何构型、振动基频、电荷分布等参数和可能发生的化学反应的能量。为了比较,对Me~3Ga/NH~3体系也做了相应的研究。计算结果表明反应中间体Me~3M·YH~3(Y=N,P)具有稳定的结构,其生成反应是放热的。Me~3M·YH~3中的M－Y键比较弱,但当它们通过一个放热的分子内反应分解为Me~2MYH~2和CH~4后M－Y键大为增强。根据计算结果讨论了Me~3M/YH~3体系可能的热分解途径。由于Me~3M·YH~3单分子分解反应活化能比Me~3M中的M－C键直接均裂分解所需的能量要低得多,在有YH~3存在的情况下,Me~3M的热分解最有可能是首先形成Me~3M·YH~3及Me~2MYH~2中间体,然后进一步分解。用这一机理可以解释现有的实验事实。     

Complexes of bivalent metal cations in electrospray mass spectra of common organic compounds

In the standard electrospray ionization mass spectra of many common, low molecular mass organic compounds dissolved in methanol, peaks corresponding to ions with formula [3M + Met](2+) (M = organic molecule, Met = bivalent metal cation) are observed, sometimes with significant abundances. The most common are ions containing Mg(2+), Ca(2+) and Fe(2+). Their presence can be easily rationalized on the basis of typical organic reaction work-up procedures. The formation of [3M + Met](2+) ions has been studied using N-FMOC-proline methyl ester as a model organic ligand and Mg(2+), Ca(2+), Sr(2+), Ba(2+), Fe(2+), Ni(2+), Mn(2+), Co(2+) and Zn(2+) chlorides or acetates as the sources of bivalent cation. It was found that all ions studied form [3M + Met](2+) complexes with N-FMOC-proline methyl ester, some of them at very low concentrations. Transition metal cations generally show higher complexation activity in comparison with alkaline earth metal cations. They are also more specific in the formation of [3M + Met](2+) complexes. In the case of alkaline earth metal cations [2M + Met](2+) and [4M + Met](2+) complex ions are also observed. It has been found that [3M + Met](2+) complex ions undergo specific fragmentation at relatively low energy, yielding fluorenylmethyl cation as a major product. [M + Na](+) ions are much more stable and their fragmentation is not as specific.     

Generalized principle of designing neutral superstrong Brønsted acids

A generalized principle of designing superstrong Br?nsted acids is suggested according to the following scheme: M=O --> M=Z(X)(n). It consists of the formal replacement of =O fragment in carbonyl, sulfonyl, etc. groups in various acidic systems (e.g., CH(3)CHO, FSO(3)H, where M is the CH(3)CH= or FSO(2)H=fragment, respectively) by =NSO(2)F, =NCN, =C(CN)(2), =P(SO(2)F)(3), =S(CN)(4), or any other formally bivalent group =Z(X)(n) (where the formal valency of the central atom Z is n + 2), leading to highly acidic systems (e.g., HC(=P(CN)(3))NH(2), FS(=C(CN)(2))(2)OH, etc.). It is demonstrated that in several cases the introduction of the double-bonded substituent at the central atom (e.g., N, C, P, S, Cl) that carries the potentially acidic proton or the acidity site (e.g., OH, NH(2), CH(3), etc. groups) will lead to the enormous (up to ca. 120 kcal/mol or 88 pK(a) units!) increase of the intrinsic acidity of the respective parent acid. The acidity of the resulting acids and the scope and limitations of the principle are explored using density functional theory calculations at B3LYP 6-311+G level. Some of the resulting acids (or their anions) were found to undergo fragmentation in the course of the geometry optimization. The general trend that follows from the results of the calculations is that the stability of the resulting compounds is influenced by both the M and the Z. If M is a first row element (carbon or nitrogen), then stable species are produced with almost any Z. If M is a second row element (sulfur or phosphorus), then the species with first row Z are mostly predicted to be stable, but most of the species with second row Z are expected to undergo fragmentation during the geometry optimization. The Z = N and Z = C derivatives (e.g., =NSO(2)CF(3), =C(CN)(2), =C(SO(2)CF(3))(2), etc.) are predicted to be the most stable. However, they have relatively modest electron-accepting power as compared to their penta-, hexa-, and heptavalent counterparts. The acidifying effects of the =Z(X)(n)() groups with the same X increase with increasing n: =NCN < =C(CN)(2) < =P(CN)(3) < =S(CN)(4) and =NSO(2)F < =C(SO(2)F)(2) < =P(SO(2)F)(3). Also, the acidifying effect of a fluorosulfonyl-substituted substituent is higher than that of the corresponding cyano-substituted substituent.     

Acetothioacetanilide as a gravimetric reagent for palladium, platinum and rhodium

Acetothioacetanilide, CH(3)CO . CH(2) . CS . NH . C(6)H(5) is found to be a very suitable gravimetric reagent for Pd(II), Pt(II) and Rh(III). The complexes [composition, M(C(10)H(10)NOS)(2); for M = Pd(II) and Pt(II), and M(C(10)H(10)NOS)(3)] are stable and can be weighed after drying at 105-110 degrees . Separation from base metals has been studied, and a structural interpretation made from DTA, TG and infrared data.     

Ab Initio Studies on MCH2(OH) and CH3OM(M=H, -, Li, Na)

IntroductionThe greatsynthetic utility of organolithium reagents has been extended by the introduc-tion ofα-lithium-etherreagents[1— 4] .Those reagentsareeasily prepared,and they can be usedas anionic resources to synthesize a large variety of compounds stereo-selectively[5— 8] .Fur-thermore,such reagents can react with nucleophiles like RLi,only a typical reaction of car-benoid[9,1 0 ] .Though the ambidentnature isof greatinterest,only a little work has been doneon model molecule Li CH2 …     

Alkali metals in ethylenediamine: a computational study of the optical absorption spectra and NMR parameters of [M(en)3(δ+)·M(δ-)] ion pairs

The optical absorption spectra of alkali metals in ethylenediamine have provided evidence for a third oxidation state, -1, of all of the alkali metals heavier than lithium. Experimentally determined NMR parameters have supported this interpretation, further indicating that whereas Na(-) is a genuine metal anion, the interaction of the alkali anion with the medium becomes progressively stronger for the larger metals. Herein, first-principles computations based upon density functional theory are carried out on various species which may be present in solutions composed of alkali metals and ethylenediamine. The energies of a number of hypothetical reactions computed with a continuum solvation model indicate that neither free metal anions, M(-), nor solvated electrons are the most stable species. Instead, [Li(en)(3)](2) and [M(en)(3)(δ+)·M(δ-)] (M = Na, K, Rb, Cs) are predicted to have enhanced stability. The M(en)(3) complexes can be viewed as superalkalis or expanded alkalis, ones in which the valence electron density is pulled out to a greater extent than in the alkali metals alone. The computed optical absorption spectra and NMR parameters of the [Li(en)(3)](2) superalkali dimer and the [M(en)(3)(δ+)·M(δ-)] superalkali-alkali mixed dimers are in good agreement with the aforementioned experimental results, providing further evidence that these may be the dominant species in solution. The latter can also be thought of as an ion pair formed from an alkali metal anion (M(-)) and solvated cation (M(en)(3)(+)).     

Gas-phase chemistry of nitrogen trifluoride NF3: structure and stability of its M–NF3 (M=H, Li, Na, K) complexes

The stationary points characterizing the potential energy profiles of the complex processes of the M⁺(M=H, Li, Na, K) and NF₃ were investigated by QCISD and B3LYP in conjunction with the 6-311+G(2d,2p) basis set. The optimized geometries and NBO analysis indicate that the complexes of M⁺(M=Li, Na, K) and NF₃ exist as ion-dipole molecules. But for H⁺ complexes, there are two stable isomers NF₃H⁺ and NF₂⁺–HF. The interaction distances of isomers follow the sequence H⁺< Li⁺< Na⁺< K⁺. The calculated affinity energies of the most stable isomers of H⁺, Li⁺, Na⁺, and K⁺ complexes exceed 20.1 kJ/mol, and these values suggest that the M⁺–NF₃ (M=H, Li, Na, K) complexes could be observed as stable species in gas phase, which supports Fujii's proposal that Li⁺ ion attachment mass spectrometry can serve as a conceivable technique to quantify the emissions of the NF₃.     

(MN)nHm(M=Ga,In; n=1-4; m=1, 2)团簇的结构与稳定性

采用密度泛函理论(DFT)的B3LYP方法, 在6-31G**和Lanl2dz水平上分别对(MN)nHm(M=Ga, In; n=1-4; m=1, 2)进行了优化和振动频率计算. 得到了上述团簇的最稳定构型、H原子的结合能以及它们的能隙. 结果表明, (MN)nH(M=Ga, In; n=1-4)的基态构型均为双重态, (MN)nH2(M=Ga, In; n=1-4)的基态构型均为单重态; 当氢的个数为1时, 加在N原子上比加在M(M=Ga, In)原子上稳定, 如有N3单元, 那么加在N3单元两侧的构型是相同的, 且它是最稳定的; 当氢的个数为2时, 除n=1外, 分别加在两个N原子上的构型是最稳定的, 如有N3单元, 那么分别加在N3单元分离最远的两个N原子的构型是最稳定的. GaNH、(GaN)3H 和InNH的结合能和能隙都很大, 说明这些团簇都有很高的稳定性.     

The self-assembly mechanism of the Lindqvist anion [W(6)O(19)](2-) in aqueous solution: a density functional theory study

The formation mechanism is always a fundamental and confused issue for polyoxometalate chemistry. Two formation mechanisms (M1 and M2) of the Lindqvist anion [W(6)O(19)](2-) have been adopted to investigate it's self-assembly reaction pathways at a density functional theory (DFT) level. The potential energy surfaces reveal that both the mechanisms are thermodynamically favorable and overall barrierless at room temperature, but M2 is slightly dominant to M1. The formation of the pentanuclear species [W(5)O(16)](2-) and [W(5)O(15)(OH)](-) are recognized as the rate-determining steps in the whole assembly polymerization processes. These two steps involve the highest energy barriers with 30.48 kcal mol(-1) and 28.90 kcal mol(-1), respectively, for M1 and M2. [W(4)O(13)](2-) and [W(4)O(12)(OH)](-) are proved to be the most stable building blocks. In addition, DFT results reveal that the formation of [W(3)O(10)](2-) experiences a lower barrier along the chain channel.     

Insights into the metathesis reaction involving M-M,C-C,and M-C triple bonds from computations employing density functional theory on model compounds M2(OH)6 and M2(SH)6, where M = Mo and W

Calculations employing density functional theory (Gaussian 98, B3LYP, LANL2DZ, 6-31G) have been undertaken to interrogate the factors influencing the metathesis reaction involving M-M, C-C, and M-C triple bonds for the model compounds M(2)(EH)(6), M(2)(EH)(6)(mu-C(2)H(2)), and [(HE)(3)M(tbd1;CH)](2), where M = Mo, W and E = O, S. Whereas in all cases the ethyne adducts are predicted to be enthalpically favored in the reactions between M(2)(EH)(6) compounds and ethyne, only when M = W and E = O is the alkylidyne product [(HO)(3)W(tbd1;CH)](2) predicted to be more stable than the alkyne adduct. For the reaction M(2)(EH)(6)(mu-C(2)H(2)) --> [(HE)(3)M(tbd1;CH)](2), the deltaG degrees values (kcal mol(-)(1)) are -6 (M = W, E = O), +5 (M = Mo, E = O), +18 (M = W, E = S), and +21 (M = Mo, E = S) and the free energies of activation are calculated to be deltaG() = +19 kcal mol(-)(1) (M = W, E = O) and +34 kcal mol(-)(1) (M = Mo, E = O), where the transition state involves an asymmetric bridged structure M(2)(OH)(4)(mu-OH)(2)(CH)(mu-CH) in which the C-C bond has broken; C.C = 1.89 and 1.98 A for W and Mo, respectively. These results are discussed in terms of the experimental observations of the reactions involving ethyne and the symmetrically substituted alkynes (RCCR, where R = Me, Et) with M(2)(O(t)()Bu)(6) and M(2)(O(t)()Bu)(2)(S(t)()Bu)(4) compounds, where M = Mo, W.