Synthesis and molecular structure of Cr(salen)(mu-N)RhCl(COD): the first example of a heterobimetallic nitride-bridged complex containing chromium.

Five-coordinate Cr(N)(salen) {salen is 2,2'-[ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenolate} reacts with [RhCl(COD)](2) (COD is 1,5-cyclooctadiene) to yield the heterobimetallic nitride-bridged title compound, namely chlorido-2kappaCl-[2(eta(4))-1,5-cyclooctadiene]{2,2'-[ethane-1,2-diylbis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenolato-1kappa(4)O,N,N',O'}-mu-nitrido-1:2kappa(2)N:N-chromium(V)rhodium(I), [CrRh(C(16)H(14)N(2)O(2))ClN(C(8)H(12))]. The Cr-N bond of 1.5936 (14) A is elongated by only 0.035 A compared to the terminal Cr-N bond in the precursor. The nitride bridge is close to being linear [173.03 (9) degrees] and the Rh-N bond of 1.9594 (14) A is very short for a monodentate nitrogen-donor ligand, indicating significant pi-acceptor character of the Cr[triple bond]N group.