Reactivity of a molybdenum–nitride complex bearing an NHC-based PCP-type pincer ligand toward unsaturated substrates

Reactivity of a molybdenum-nitride complex bearing an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-based PCP-type pincer ligand (1), whose nitride ligand is derived from dinitrogen, toward various unsaturated substrates was systematically investigated. The reaction of complex 1 with carbon monoxide as a substrate featuring a C-O triple bond afforded the corresponding cationic nitride-carbonyl complex, where the carbonyl ligand is coordinated to the molybdenum centre in place of the iodine ligand. Reactions of complex 1 with 1-pentyne, ethylene, and maleic anhydride as substrates featuring a C-C multiple bond afforded the corresponding π-complexes, where the C-C multiple bond is coordinated to the molybdenum centre. The reaction of 1 with dioxygen also yielded the corresponding π-complex in a similar manner to the reaction with ethylene. Finally, we investigated the redox reactivities of nitride-carbonyl and nitride-alkyne complexes.