Dipyrrolyl precursors to bisalkoxide molybdenum olefin metathesis catalysts.

Addition of 2 equiv of lithium pyrrolide to Mo(NR)(CHCMe2R')(OTf)2(DME) (OTf = OSO2CF3; R = 2,6-i-Pr2C6H3, 1-adamantyl, or 2,6-Br2-4-MeC6H2; R' = Me or Ph) produces Mo(NR)(CHCMe2R')(NC4H4)2 complexes in good yield. All compounds can be recrystallized readily from toluene or mixtures of pentane and ether and are sensitive to air and moisture. An X-ray structure of a 2,6-diisopropylphenylimido species shows it to be an unsymmetric dimer, {Mo(NAr)(syn-CHCMe2Ph)(eta5-NC4H4)(eta1-NC4H4)}{Mo(NAr)(syn-CHCMe2Ph)(eta1-NC4H4)2}, in which the nitrogen in the eta5-pyrrolyl bound to one Mo behaves as a donor to the other Mo. All complexes are fluxional on the NMR time scale at room temperature, with one symmetric species being observed on the NMR time scale at 50 degrees C in toluene-d8. The dimers react with PMe3 (at Mo) or B(C6F5)3 (at a eta5-NC4H4 nitrogen) to give monomeric products in high yield. They also react rapidly with 2 equiv of monoalcohols (e.g., Me3COH or (CF3)2MeCOH) or 1 equiv of a biphenol or binaphthol to give 2 equiv of pyrrole and bisalkoxide or diolate complexes in approximately 100% yield.