Synthesis and characterisation of dinuclear oxomolybdenum(V) complexes with thienyl carboxylate ligands

The first structurally characterised oxomolybdenum(V) complexes with thienyl carboxylate ligands were prepared by the reaction of [Mo₂O₃(C₅H₇O₂)₄] or (NH₄)₂[MoOCl₅] with the corresponding acid (2-thiophenecarboxylic, 5-methyl-2-thiophenecarboxylic or 3-(3-thienyl)acrylic acid). Complexes [Mo₂O₃(μ-OC₂H₅)(μ-O₂CR)(C₅H₇O₂)₂](R = -C₄H₃S (1), -C₄H₂S(CH₃) (2) or -CHCHC₄H₃S (3)) were obtained upon substitution of two acetylacetonate ligands from [Mo₂O₃(C₅H₇O₂)₄] with RCOO⁻ in dry ethanol. Reactions of (NH₄)₂[MoOCl₅] with the corresponding thienyl carboxylic acid in the presence of γ-picoline (C₆H₇N) yielded complexes (C₆H₇NH)[Mo₂O₄(μ-O₂CR)Cl₂(C₆H₇N)₂] (R = -C₄H₃S (4), -C₄H₂S(CH₃) (5) or -CHCHC₄H₃S (6)). All of the six new complexes were characterised as dinuclear. The molecular structures of 1, 3, 4·0.5CH₃CN and 5 were determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction method. In the complexes the two molybdenum atoms are doubly bridged either by one oxygen and one ethoxy-oxygen, or alternatively by two oxo-oxygens, and are additionally bridged by the thienyl carboxylate ion in a didentate bridging manner. All complexes were further characterised by means of chemical analysis, IR spectroscopy, TG and in some cases by the one and two-dimensional NMR method.