The simplest binary fluorocarbon as a ligand. Synthetic, spectroscopic, crystallographic, and computational studies of a molybdenum complex of terminally ligated carbon monofluoride (fluoromethylidyne)

Cp*Mo(CO)3CF3 undergoes two-electron reduction using potassium graphite or magnesium graphite to give Cp*Mo(CO)2(CF), the first example of a transition metal complex containing a terminal fluoromethylidyne ligand, which has been characterized spectroscopically, crystallographically, and computationally.