Heteromolecular insertion of EtNCX (X = O, S) and RCN (R = CH3, C6H5) into tungsten hexachloride

The interactions of tungsten hexachloride with EtNCX (X = O, S) and RCN (R = CH₃, C₆H₅) were studied. In the case of E = CH₃, heterocumulenes are inserted at the W-Cl bond, while in the case of R = C₆H₅, they were inserted at a multiple tungsten-nitrogen bond of an intermediate imido complex WCl₄(NCPh)(CNCl₂Ph)]. The IR, MALDI TOFF mass spectroscopy, and elemental analysis data confirmed that these interactions yielded the products of heteromolecular insertion, namely, WCl₄{(EtNCO)₂(MeCN)Cl}], WCl₄(EtNCS)₂(MeCN)Cl], WCl₄N(CCl₂Ph)C(=NEt)O}], and WCl₄N(CCl₂Ph)C(=NEt)S}], whose compositions and structures were determined by the nature of the organic nitrile radical.