The elusive 16-electron Cp*M(NO)Me(2)(M = Mo, W) complexes and their spontaneous conversions to Cp*M(NMe)(O)Me isomers.

Treatment of [Cp*Mo(NO)Cl(mu-Cl)](2) with magnesium (Me(2)Mg.dioxane, MeMgCl) or aluminum (Me(3)Al) methylating reagents affords the known compound [Cp*Mo(NO)Me(mu-Cl)](2) (1). Similar treatment of the dichloro precursor with MeLi in ethereal solvents generates an equimolar mixture of 1 and the trimethyl "ate" complex, Cp*MoMe(3)(NO-Li(OEt(2)(n)), (2-Et(2)O). Reaction of 2-Et(2)O with a source of [Me](+) forms Cp*MoMe(3)(=N-OMe)(3), a rare terminal alkoxylimido complex. Metathesis of the chloro ligands of [Cp*Mo(NO)Cl(mu-Cl)](2) by MeLi in toluene at low temperatures produces the target dimethyl complex, Cp*Mo(NO)Me(2) (4), in 75% isolated yield. In solution, 4 is predominantly a monomeric species, whereas in the solid state it adopts a dimeric or oligomeric structure containing isonitrosyl bridges as indicated by IR and (15)N/(13)C NMR spectroscopies. Hydrolysis of 4 affords meso- and rac-[Cp*Mo(NO)Me](2)(mu-O) (5), and the reactions of 4 with a range of Lewis bases, L, to form the 18e adducts Cp*Mo(NO)(L)Me(2) (e.g., Cp*Mo(NO)(PMe(3))Me(2) (7)), have established it to be the most electrophilic complex of its family. Acidolysis of the methyl groups of 4 is also facile. Most notably, 4 is thermally unstable in solution and undergoes isomerization via nitrosyl N-O bond cleavage to its oxo(imido) form, Cp*Mo(NMe)(O)Me (11), which is isolable from the final reaction mixture as the mu-oxo-bridged adduct formed by 4 and 11, i.e., Cp*Mo(NO)Me(2)(mu-O)Cp*Mo(NMe)Me (4 <-- 11). The rate of this isomerization is significantly faster for the tungsten dimethyl complex; hence, Cp*W(NO)Me(2) (12) is not isolable free of a supporting donor interaction and can only be isolated as Cp*W(NO)Me(2)(mu-O)Cp*W(NMe)Me (12 <-- 13) or Cp*W(NO)Me(2)(PMe(3)) (14) adducts.