Synthesis, structure, and characterization of molybdenum(VI) imido complexes with N-salicylidene-2-aminophenol

Diimido complexes of the type Mo(NAr)2Cl2(dme) (dme = 1,2-dimethoxyethane) react with N-salicylidene-2-aminophenol (sapH2) in methanol in the presence of 2 equiv of triethylamine to form complexes with the general formula Mo(NAr)(1,2-OC6H4NH)(sap). The structures of three of these compounds (NAr = 2,6-dimethylphenylimido (1), 2,4,6-trimethylphenylimido (2), 2-tert-butylphenylimido3) have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The coordination sphere around the Mo is a distorted octahedron. The oxygen from the 2-aminophenol is trans to the imido nitrogen, whereas the amido nitrogen and the tridentate sap occupy the four equatorial positions. The Mo-N-C imido linkages have angles of 167.5(2) degrees (1), 163.2(2) degrees (2), and 162.4(1) degrees (3). A precursor complex to the imido-amido complex, Mo(NAr)(sap)(OCH3)2 (4, NAr = 2,4,6-trimethylphenylimido), has been isolated and characterized. Compound 4 reacts with 2-aminophenol to form 2, with 2-aminothiophenol to form Mo(NAr)(1,2-SC6H4NH)(sap) (5), with catechol to form Mo(NAr)(1,2-OC6H4O)(sap) (6), with naphthalene-2,3-diol to form Mo(NAr)(naphthalene-2,3-diolate)(sap) (7), with 1,2-benzenedithiol to form Mo(NAr)(1,2-SC6H4S)(sap) (8), and with 1,2-phenylenediamine to form Mo(NAr)(1,2-HNC6H4NH)(sap) (9). The structures of compounds 5-9 have been determined by X-ray crystallography. With the exception of compound 8, the structures are similar to those of 1,2, and 3, with the bidentate ligand occupying one axial and one equatorial position. In 8, 1,2-benzendithiolate occupies two equatorial positions, and the nitrogen from sap is located trans to the imido nitrogen. All complexes were characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and UV-vis spectroscopy. When a solution of 4 is exposed to moisture-containing air, MoO2(sap)(CH3OH) (10) is formed. The structure of 10 was also determined.