Regiospecific and sequential P-C bond activation/cluster transformations in the reaction of PhCCo2MoCp(CO)8 with the diphosphine ligands 2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)maleic anhydride (bma) and 3,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)-5-methoxy-2(5H)-furanone (bmf)

Thermolysis of the mixed-metal cluster PhCCo₂MoCp(CO)₈ (1) with the diphosphine ligand 2,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)maleic anhydride (bma) in CH₂Cl₂ leads to the sequential formation of the phosphido-bridged cluster Co₂MoCp(CO)₅[μ₂,η²,η¹-C(Ph)CC(PPh₂)C(O)OC(O)](μ-PPh₂) (3) and the bis(phosphido)-bridged cluster Co₂MoCp(CO)₄[η³,η¹,η¹-C(Ph)CCC(O)OC(O)](μ-PPh₂)₂ (4). 3 and 4 have been isolated and characterized in solution by IR and NMR (¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P) spectroscopies, and the solid-state structures have been established by X-ray diffraction analyses. Both clusters contain 48e- and exhibit triangular Co₂Mo cores. The structure of 3 reveals the presence of a phosphido moiety that bridges the Co-Co vector and a six-electron μ₂,η²,η¹-C(Ph)CC(PPh₂)C(O)OC(O) ligand that caps one of the Co₂Mo faces. The X-ray structure of 4 confirms that the five-electron η³,η¹,η¹- C(Ph)CCC(O)OC(O) ligand is σ-bound to the two cobalt centers in an η¹ fashion and π-coordinated to the molybdenum center through a traditional η³-allylic interaction. The reaction between PhCCo₂MoCp(CO)₈ and the chiral diphosphine ligand 3,4-bis(diphenylphosphino)-5-methoxy-2(5H)-furanone (bmf) proceeds similarly, furnishing the phosphido-bridged cluster Co₂MoCp(CO)₅ [μ₂,η²,η¹-C(Ph)CC(PPh₂)C(O)OCH(OMe)](μ-PPh₂) (6), followed by conversion to Co₂MoCp(CO)₄[η³,η¹,η¹-C(Ph)CCC(O)OCH(OMe)](μ-PPh₂)₂ (7). The identities of clusters 6 and 7 have been ascertained by solution spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. The overall molecular structure of cluster 6 is similar to that of cluster 3, except that the P-C(furanone ring) bond cleavage occurs with high regioselectivity and high diastereoselectivity. The cleavage of the remaining P-C(furanone ring) bond in cluster 6 gives rise to the bis(phosphido)-bridged cluster 7, whose structure is discussed relative to its bma-derived analogue 4. The diastereoselectivity that accompanies the formation of 6 and 7 is discussed relative to steric effects within the Co₂Mo polyhedron. The cyclic voltammetric properties of cluster 3 have been examined, with three well-defined one-electron processes for the 0/+1, 0/−1, −1/−2 redox couples found. The composition of the HOMO and LUMO in 3 was established by extended Hückel MO calculations, with the data discussed relative to the parent tetrahedrane cluster 1.