A molecular Mo4Bi4 framework composed exclusively of unsupported metal-metal bonds

Reaction of Cp(2)MoH(2)] with bismuth allyloxide, Bi{OCH(CH(3))CH==CH(2)}(3)], gave rise to an extended octanuclear complex wherein two cyclic Mo(2)Bi(2) units composed of four Mo-Bi bonds are linked by a Bi-Bi bond. The fact that the construction of such an assembly could be accomplished only in the case of a monomethylation of the parent allyl residue demonstrates a subtle substituent effect.