MOLYBDENUM(II) ACETATE DIMER

Description

Molybdenum (II) acetate is a coordination compound with the formula Mo₂(O₂CCH₃)₄. It is a yellow, diamagnetic, air-stable solid that is slightly soluble in organic solvents. Molybdenum(II) acetate is an iconic example of a compound with a metal-metal quadruple bond.

Chemical properties

yellow to greenish needle-like crystals or

Physical properties

Molybdenum (II) Acetate adopts the same Chinese lantern structure as related acetate dimers such as rhodium (II) acetate, copper (II) acetate, and chromium (II) acetate. Each Mo(II) center in Mo2(O2CCH3)4 has four d valence electrons. These eight d-electrons form one σ, two π bonds, and one δ bond, creating a bonding electron configuration of σ2π4δ2. Each of these bonds are formed by the overlapping of pairs of d orbitals.The four acetate groups bridge the two metal centers. The Mo-O bond between each Mo(II) center and O atom from acetate has a distance of 2.119 Å, and the Mo-Mo distance between the two metal centers is 2.0934 Å.

The Uses of MOLYBDENUM(II) ACETATE DIMER

Molybdenum(II) acetate dimer is generally used as an intermediate compound in a process to form other quadruply bonded molybdenum compounds.

What are the applications of Application

Mo₂(O₂CCH₃)₄ is generally used as an intermediate compound in a process to form other quadruply bonded molybdenum compounds The acetate ligands can be replaced to give new compounds such as [Mo₂Cl₈]^4- and Mo₂Cl₄[P(C₄H₉)₃]₄.

Preparation

Mo₂(O₂CCH₃)₄is prepared by treating molybdenum hexa carbonyl (Mo (CO)₆) with acetic acid. The process strips CO ligands from hexacarbonyl results in the oxidation of Mo (0) to Mo (II).
2 Mo(CO)₆ + 4 HO₂CCH₃ → Mo₂(O₂CCH₃)₄ + 12 CO + 2 H₂
Trinuclear clusters are byproducts.
The reaction of HO₂CCH₃ and Mo(CO)₆ was first investigated by Bannister et al. in 1960. At the time, quadruple metal-metal bonds had not yet been discovered, so these authors proposed that "Mo(O₂CCH₃)₂ was tetrahedral. This perspective changed with Mason's characterization .