Molybdenum and tungsten structural differences are dependent on ndz(2)/(n + 1)s mixing: comparisons of (silox)3MX/R (M = Mo, W; silox = (t)Bu3SiO).

Treatment of trans-(Et 2O) 2MoCl 4 with 2 or 3 equiv of Na(silox) (i.e., NaOSi (t) Bu 3) afforded (silox) 3MoCl 2 ( 1-Mo) or (silox) 3MoCl ( 2-Mo). Purification of 2-Mo was accomplished via addition of PMe 3 to precipitate (silox) 3ClMoPMe 3 ( 2-MoPMe 3), followed by thermolysis to remove phosphine. Use of MoCl 3(THF) 3 with various amounts of Na(silox) produced (silox) 2ClMoMoCl(silox) 2 ( 3-Mo). Alkylation of 2-Mo with MeMgBr or EtMgBr afforded (silox) 3MoR (R = Me, 2-MoMe; Et, 2-MoEt). 2-MoEt was also synthesized from C 2H 4 and (silox) 3MoH, which was prepared from 2-Mo and NaBEt 3H. Thermolysis of WCl 6 with HOSi ( t )Bu 3 afforded (silox) 2WCl 4 ( 4-W), and sequential treatment of 4-W with Na/Hg and Na(silox) provided (silox) 3WCl 2 ( 1-W, tbp, X-ray), which was alternatively prepared from trans-(Et 2S) 2WCl 4 and 3 equiv of Tl(silox). Na/Hg reduction of 1-W generated (silox) 3WCl ( 2-W). Alkylation of 2-W with MeMgBr produced (silox) 3WMe ( 2-WMe), which dehydrogenated to (silox) 3WCH ( 6-W) with Delta H (double dagger) = 14.9(9) kcal/mol and Delta S (double dagger) = -26(2) eu. Magnetism and structural studies revealed that 2-Mo and 2-MoEt have triplet ground states (GS) and distorted trigonal monopyramid (tmp) and tmp structures, respectively. In contrast, 2-W and 2-WMe possess squashed-T d (distorted square planar) structures, and the former has a singlet GS. Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics studies of the S = 0 and S = 1 states for full models of 2-Mo, 2-MoEt, 2-W, and 2-WMe corroborate the experimental findings and are consistent with the greater nd z (2) /( n + 1)s mixing in the third-row transition-metal species being the dominant feature in determining the structural disparity between molybdenum and tungsten.