Synthesis and characterization of heptacoordinated molybdenum(II) complexes supported with 2,6-bis(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (bpp) ligands.

Functional pincer ligands that engage in metal-ligand cooperativity and/or are capable of redox non-innocence have found a great deal of success in catalysis. These two properties may be found in metal complexes of the 2,6-bis(pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (bpp) ligands. With this goal in mind, we have attempted the coordination of 2,6-bis(5-trifluoromethylpyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (LCF3) and its Bu analogue 2,6-bis(5--butylpyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (LtBu) to Mo(0) by reactions with mixed phosphine/carbonyl complexes [Mo(CO)(MeCN)(PMePh)] 1-3 (1 ≤ ≤ 3).