Electron transfer. 109. The reaction of dimeric molybdenum(V) with carboxylato-bound chromium(V). A third mechanistic variation

The bridged dimer of molybdenum(V), Mo₂O₄²⁺ (aq) is oxidized to Mo(VI) by carboxylato-bound chromium(V). Reaction of bis(chelated) Cr(V) with excess (Mo^V)₂ yields a chelated Cr(III) complex, but this conversion proceeds through a pink Cr(IV) intermediate, indicating that the oxidation of (Mo^V)₂ entails a series of le^? steps, passing through a reactive transient, the mixed valence complex, Mo^VMo^VI. When experiments are carried out in buffers of the ligating acid, 2-ethyl-2-hydroxybutanoic acid, two stages of ligation of (Mo^V)₂ by the ligand anion, characterized by rate constants near 10⁴ and 0.14 M^?1 s^?1 (19°C; pH 3.0; μ = 0.6 M) must be considered. In quick mixing experiments, the first, but not the second, of these proceeds before the redox reaction gets under way, and autocatalytic redox profiles are observed. If the slower ligation is allowed to reach completion before Cr(V) is added, reduction to Cr(IV) is greatly accelerated and conforms to the superposition of two processes, whereas the reduction of Cr(IV) to Cr(III) is slow and exhibits a rate independent of Cr^IV]. A proposed sequence applicable to the latter conditions includes reductions of Cr(V) at two ligation levels, slow unimolecular conversion of (Mo^V)₂ to an activated form, and rapid reduction of the latter with Cr(IV). Here Cr(IV) has assumed the role of a scavenger for the reactive form of (Mo^V)₂.