Synthesis and Characterization of Bioinspired [Mo2 Fe2 ]-Hydride Cluster Complexes and Their Application in the Catalytic Silylation of N2.

The hydride-supported [Mo2 Fe2 ] cluster complex {Cp*Mo(PMe3 )}2 {FeN(SiMe3 )2 }2 (H)8 (2 a; Cp*=η5 -C5 Me5 ) and its [Mo2 Mn2 ] congener 2 b were synthesized from the reactions of Cp*Mo(PMe3 )(H)5 (1) with M{N(SiMe3 )2 }2 (M=Fe, Mn). The amide-to-thiolate ligand-exchange reactions of complex 2 a with bulky thiol reagents (HSR; R=2,4,6-iPr3 C6 H2 (Tip), 2,6-(SiMe3 )2 C6 H3 (Btp)) furnished the corresponding hydride-supported [Mo2 Fe2 ](SR)2 cluster complexes. The [Mo2 Fe2 ] clusters served as catalyst precursors for the reductive silylation of N2 and yielded ≈65-69 equivalents of N(SiMe3 )3 relative to the [Mo2 Fe2 ] clusters. Treatment of complexes 2 a and b with an excess of CNtBu resulted in the formation of dinuclear Mo-Fe and Mo-Mn complexes, which indicated that the [Mo2 M2 ] cores (M=Fe, Mn) split into two dinuclear species upon accommodation of substrates.