Structure and spectroscopy of a bidentate bis-homocitrate dioxo-molybdenum(VI) complex: insights relevant to the structure and properties of the FeMo-cofactor in nitrogenase.

Direct reaction of potassium molybdate (with natural abundance Mo or enriched with (92)Mo or (100)Mo) with excess hydrolyzed homocitric acid-γ-lactone in acidic solution resulted in the isolation of a cis-dioxo bis-homocitrato molybdenum(VI) complex, K(2)[*MoO(2)(R,S-H(2)homocit)(2)]·2H(2)O (1) (*Mo=Mo, 1; (92)Mo, 2; (100)Mo, 3; H(4)homocit=homocitric acid-γ-lactone·H(2)O) and K(2)[MoO(2)((18)O-R,S-H(2)homocit)(2)]·2H(2)O (4). The complex has been characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR, solid and solution (13)C NMR, and single crystal x-ray diffraction analysis. The molybdenum atom in (1) is quasi-octahedrally coordinated by two cis oxo groups and two bidentate homocitrate ligands. The latter coordinates via its α-alkoxy and α-carboxy groups, while the β- and γ-carboxylic acid groups remain uncomplexed, similar to the coordination mode of homocitrate in the Mo-cofactor of nitrogenase. In the IR spectra, the MoO stretching modes near 900 cm(-1) show 2-3 cm(-1) red- and blue-shifts for the (92)Mo-complex (2) and (100)Mo-complex (3) respectively compared with the natural abundance version (1). At lower frequencies, bands at 553 and 540 cm(-1) are assigned to ν(Mo-O) vibrations involving the alkoxide ligand. At higher frequencies, bands in the 1700-1730 cm(-1) region are assigned to stretching modes of protonated carboxylates. In addition, a band at 1675 cm(-1) was observed that may be analogous to a band seen at 1677 cm(-1) in nitrogenase photolysis studies. The solution behavior of (1) in D(2)O was probed with (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra. An obvious dissociation of homocitrate was found, even though bound to the high valent Mo(VI). This suggests the likely lability of coordinated homocitrate in the FeMo-cofactor with its lower valence Mo(IV).