A di-metal sandwich complex: X-ray crystal structure of [Mo2(CO)4(µ-η3,η3′-C8H8)2[

Abstract

Red crystalline [Mo2(CO)4(µ-η3,η3′-C8H8)2], a product of the reaction of [Mo(CO)6] with cyclo-octatetraene in boiling cyclohexane, is shown by X-ray diffraction to contain two non-bonded molybdenum atoms sandwiched between two cyclo-octatetraene rings; the rings are bonded to the metal atoms via η3-allyl interactions and rotate freely in solution.