Bis(cyclopentadienyl)methane-Bridged Dinuclear Complexes, 10 The Bis(cyclopentadienyl)methane Link between Lewis Basic and Lewis Acidic Metal Centers†‡

The mononuclear rhodium complexes [(C5H5CH2C5H4)-Rh(CO)2] (1) and [(C5H5CH2C5H4)Rh(PhCCPh)(PiPr3)] (2) readily react with nBuLi or TlOEt to yield the corresponding lithium salts 3 and 4 or thallium salts 5 and 6. The reaction of these salts with [(C5H5)Nb(NtBu)Cl2] (7) leads to the formation of the heterodinuclear compounds [{CH2(C5H4)2}-{Rh(CO)2}{(C5H5)Nb(NtBu)Cl}] (8) and [{CH2(C5H4)2}-{Rh(PhCCPh)(PiPr3)}{(C5H5)Nb(NtBu)Cl}] (9), respectively. Treatment of 3–6 with [Mo(NtBu)2Cl2] (10) gives the heterodinuclear Rh/Mo complexes [{CH2(C5H4)2}{Rh(CO)2}-{Mo(NtBu)2Cl}] (11) and [{CH2(C5H4)2}{Rh(PhCCPh)-(PiPr3)}{Mo(NtBu)2Cl}] (12). The analogous reaction of [Mo(NMes)2Cl2(DME)] (13) with 3–6 yields the corresponding complexes [{CH2(C5H4)2}{Rh(CO)2}{Mo(NMes)2Cl}] (14) and [{CH2(C5H4)2}{Rh(PhCCPh)(PiPr3)}{Mo(NMes)2Cl}] (15). From the monometallated ligand [(C5H5CH2C5H4)M] (M = Li: 16; M = Tl: 17) and the imidometal compounds 7, 10 and 13, the mononuclear complexes [(C5H5CH2C5H4)(C5H5)Nb-(NtBu)Cl] (18) and [(C5H5CH2C5H4)Mo(NR)2Cl] (R = tBu: 19; R = Mes: 20) have been obtained.