Acid-catalyzed attack of the dinitrogen ligand in thecis-(Me2PhP)4Mo(N2)2 andtrans-(Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2W(N2)2 complexes by nitronium and nitrosonium cations with the formation of nitrogen oxides

The interaction of labeled dinitrogen complexescis-(Me₂PhP)₄Mo(¹⁵N₂)₂ andtrans-(dppe)₂W(¹⁵N₂)₂ with non-labeled nitronium and nitrosonium fluoroborates,¹⁴NO₂BF₄ and¹⁴NOBF₄, in sulfolane at room temperature in the presence of H₂SO₄ results in rapid formation of labeled nitrous and nitric oxides (¹⁵N¹⁴NO,¹⁵NO), as well as¹⁵N¹⁴N. The yield of the products depends on the reagent ratio and reaches 10–20 mol. % per mole of a complex under optimum conditions. The mechanism of the reactions found is proposed. It involves the step of protonation of the dinitrogen ligand to form the corresponding hydrazido(2–) derivatives, which are then attacked by nitronium or nitrosonium cations. In accordance with the mechanism proposed, it was established that the hydrazido(2–) complexes, (Me₂PhP)₃Mo(¹⁵N₂H₂)Cl₂ and (dppe)₂W(¹⁵N₂H₂)Cl₂, are capable of forming¹⁵N¹⁴NO,¹⁵NO, and¹⁵N¹⁴N under the action of¹⁴NO₂BF₄ and¹⁴NOBF₄ in the absence of an acid.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 7, pp. 13–13, July, 1995.