Phenylimido Complexes of Technetium and Rhenium with Maleonitriledithiolate

[Tc(NPh)Cl₃(PPh₃)₂] or [Re(NPh)Cl₃(PPh₃)₂] react with two equivalents of Na₂mnt (mnt^2– = 1,2‐dicyanoethene‐1,2‐dithiolate) with formation of anionic complexes of the composition [M(NPh)(mnt)₂]^–. The products can be isolated as large red blocks of their AsPh₄⁺ salts. The complex anions contain square‐pyramidal coordinated metal atoms with the phenylimido ligands in apical positions. The M–N–C bonds are almost linear. A similar phenylimido complex with an additional amino group was synthesized from [Re(NC₆H₄‐4‐NH₂)Cl₃(PPh₃)₂]. The presence of such substituents may allow coupling of the metal complexes to biomolecules such as peptides, proteins, or sugars, provided the M=N bonds are sufficiently stable against hydrolysis.