Vibrational spectra of nitrido and oxo complexes

The vibrational spectra of a number of transition-metal complexes containing terminal or bridging nitrido (N^3?) and oxo (O^2?) ligands are reported. Full assignments of fundamental modes are given for (OsO₃¹⁴N)^?, (OsO₃¹⁵N)^?, (Os¹⁴NX₄)^?, (Os¹⁵NX₄)^?, (Ru¹⁴NX₄)^?, (Os¹⁴NX₅)^2?, (Os¹⁵NX₅)^2? and (Ru¹⁴NX₅)^2? (X = Cl, Br), and also for the oxo complexes (Mo¹⁶OCl₄, (Mo¹⁸OCl₄)^?, (Mo¹⁶OCl₅)^2? and (Mo¹⁸OCl₅)^2?. Force constants have been evaluated for the four- and five-coordinate complexes. The significance of the results is discussed in terms of the metalligand bonding involved in these species.