Monohydride Complexes Research Articles

Alkane Elimination Preparation of Heterobimetallic MoAl Tetranuclear and Binuclear Complexes Promoting THF Ring Opening

We report a straightforward alkane elimination strategy to prepare well-defined heterobimetallic Al/Mo species. Notably, the reaction of the monohydride complex of molybdenum, Cp*MoH(CO)3, with triisobutyl aluminum affords a new heterobimetallic [MoAl]2 tetranuclear compound, [Cp*Mo(CO)(µ-CO)2Al(iBu)2]2, (1), featuring a 12-membered C4O4Mo2Al2 ring in which isocarbonyls bridge the Mo and Al centers. The addition of pyridine to this complex successfully results in the dissociation of the dimer into a new discrete binuclear complex, [Cp*Mo(CO)2(µ-CO)Al(Py)(iBu)2], (2). Switching the nature of the Lewis base from pyridine to tetrahydrofuran does not lead to the THF analogue of adduct 2, but rather to a complex reaction where one of the identified products corresponds to a tetranuclear species, [Cp*Mo(CO)3(μ-CH2CH2CH2CH2O)Al(iBu)2]2, (3), featuring two bridging alkoxybutyl fragments originating from the C-O ring opening of THF. Compound 3 adds to the unusual occurrences of THF ring opening by heterobimetallic complexes, which is evocative of masked metal-only frustrated Lewis pair behavior and highlights the high reactivity of these Al/Mo assemblies.

Closed Synthetic Cycle for Nickel-Based Dihydrogen Formation.

Dihydrogen evolution was observed in a two-step protonation reaction starting from a Ni0 precursor with a tripodal N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand. Upon the first protonation, a NiII monohydride complex was formed, which was isolated and fully characterized. Subsequent protonation yields H2 via a transient intermediate (INT) and an isolable NiII acetonitrile complex. The latter can be reduced to regenerate its Ni0 precursor. The mechanism of H2 formation was investigated by using a deuterated acid and scrutinized by 1 H NMR spectroscopy and gas chromatography. Remarkably, the second protonation forms a rare nickel dihydrogen complex, which was detected and identified in solution and characterized by 1 H NMR spectroscopy. DFT-based computational analyses were employed to propose a reaction profile and a molecular structure of the Ni-H2 complex. Thus, a dihydrogen-evolving, closed-synthetic cycle is reported with a rare Ni-H2 species as a key intermediate.

Binding Small Molecules to a cis-Dicarbonyl 99TcI-PNP Complex via Metal–Ligand Cooperativity

Metal-ligand cooperativity is a powerful tool for the activation of various bonds but has rarely, if ever, been studied with the radioactive transition metal 99Tc. In this work, we explore this bond activation pathway with the dearomatized PNP complex cis-[99TcI(PyrPNPtBu*)(CO)2] (4), which was synthesized by deprotonation of trans-[99TcI(PyrPNPtBu)(CO)2Cl] with KOtBu. Analogous to its rhenium congener, the dearomatized compound reacts with CO2 to form the carboxy complex cis-[99TcI(PyrPNPtBu-COO)(CO)2] and with H2 to form the mono-hydride complex cis-[99TcI(PyrPNPtBu)(CO)2H] (7). Substrates with weakly acidic protons are deprotonated by the Brønsted basic pincer backbone of 4, yielding a variety of intriguing complexes. Reactions with terminal alkynes enable the isolation of acetylide complexes. The deprotonation of an imidazolium salt results in the in situ formation and coordination of a carbene ligand. Furthermore, a study with heterocyclic substrates allowed for the isolation of pyrrolide and pyrazolide complexes, which is uncommon for Tc. The spectroscopic analyses and their solid-state structures are reported.

Fast Isomerization Before Isomerization‐Hydroformylation: Probing the Neglected Period with A Novel Microfluidic Device

AbstractBy combining the concept of flash chemistry and radial synthesis, a novel microreactor (Flashstop reactor) was designed to study isomerization process of hydroformylation by a Rh/tetraphosphite catalyst in a time scale of seconds. It was found that in the initial 313 seconds, 60–99 % of 1‐octene was isomerized to 2‐ and 3‐octenes before the formation of aldehydes. Within this period, two different types of isomerization reactions were observed. It was proposed that a monohydride complex without CO ligand accounts for the ultrafast isomerization in the initial 30 seconds. The isomerization rate with such monohydride species was calculated much faster than that with the well‐known H(CO)Rh(P−P) species. Both experimental and DFT computational studies were carried out to support this assumption. Fast transformations early on in catalytic cycles have been rarely studied due to the lack of proper tools. We believe that the Flashstop reactor is a powerful tool for analysis of kinetics in gas‐liquid biphasic reactions within a time scale of seconds to minutes.

Fast Isomerization Before Isomerization-Hydroformylation: Probing the Neglected Period with A Novel Microfluidic Device.

By combining the concept of flash chemistry and radial synthesis, a novel microreactor (Flashstop reactor) was designed to study isomerization process of hydroformylation by a Rh/tetraphosphite catalyst in a time scale of seconds. It was found that in the initial 313 seconds, 60~99% of 1-octene was isomerized to 2- and 3-octenes before the formation of aldehydes. Within this period, two different types of isomerization reactions were observed. It was proposed that a monohydride complex without CO ligand accounts for the ultrafast isomerization in the initial 30 seconds. The isomerization rate with such monohydride species was calculated much faster than that with the well-known H(CO)Rh(P-P) species. Both experimental and DFT computational studies were carried out to support this assumption. Fast transformations early on in catalytic cycles have been rarely studied due to the lack of proper tools. We believe that the Flashstop reactor is a powerful tool for analysis of kinetics in gas-liquid biphasic reactions within a time scale of seconds to minutes.

Rigid, strained, and flexible: a DFT study of a backbone-affected monohydride formation of salen and salan complexes

The monohydride formation of some palladium(II)-sulfosalen and sulfosalan catalysts was studied by DFT methods. The coordination of the hydrogen molecule to the metal center and the following heterolytic dissociation of the coordinated hydrogen could occur in a two-step or a concerted process resulting in a monohydride complex and having a protonated dissociated phenolate arm. The effect of the backbone frame of the ligands (the molecular unit between two nitrogen atoms) strongly determines the energetics and the type of the hydride formation. Rigid, strained, and flexible molecular structures were studied covering a wide range of planar and spherical types of backbones. Besides the previously studied Direct 1 and Direct 2 mechanisms, three other mechanisms of direct monohydride formation were found. Known and fictive structures were studied to predict kinetically and thermodynamically preferred pathways as well as complexes for this type of reaction.Graphical

A Well-Defined Anionic Dicopper(I) Monohydride Complex that Reacts like a Cluster.

Low‐nuclearity copper hydrides are rare and few well‐defined dicopper hydrides have been reported. Herein, we describe the first example of a structurally characterized anionic dicopper hydride complex. This complex does not display typical reactivity associated with low‐nuclearity copper hydrides, such as alcoholysis or insertion reactions. Instead, its stoichiometric and catalytic reactivity is akin to that of copper hydride clusters. The distinct reactivity is ascribed to the robust dinuclear core that is bound tightly within the dinucleating ligand scaffold.

A Well‐Defined Anionic Dicopper(I) Monohydride Complex that Reacts like a Cluster**

Low-nuclearity copper hydrides are rare and few well-defined dicopper hydrides have been reported. Herein, we describe the first example of a structurally characterized anionic dicopper hydride complex. This complex does not display typical reactivity associated with low-nuclearity copper hydrides, such as alcoholysis or insertion reactions. Instead, its stoichiometric and catalytic reactivity is akin to that of copper hydride clusters. The distinct reactivity is ascribed to the robust dinuclear core that is bound tightly within the dinucleating ligand scaffold.

N-Heterocyclic Carbene-Phosphinidenide Complexes as Hydroboration Catalysts.

The reactions of the N-heterocyclic carbene-phosphinidene adducts (NHC)PSiMe3 and (NHC)PH with the dinuclear ruthenium and osmium complexes [(η6-p-cymene)MCl2]2 (M = Ru, Os) afforded the half-sandwich complexes [(η6-p-cymene){(NHC)P}MCl] and [(η6-p-cymene){(NHC)PH}MCl2] with two- and three-legged piano-stool geometries, respectively (NHC = IDipp, IMes; IDipp = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene; IMes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene). The complexes were initially tested as precatalysts for the hydroboration of benzonitrile, and the most active species, the ruthenium complex [(η6-p-cymene){(IMes)P}RuCl], was further used for the efficient hydroboration of a wide range (ca. 50 substrates) of nitriles, carboxylic esters, and carboxamides in neat pinacolborane (HBpin) under comparatively mild reaction conditions (60-80 °C, 3-5 mol % catalyst loading). Preliminary mechanistic and kinetic studies are reported, and stoichiometric reactions with HBpin indicate the initial formation of the monohydride complex [(η6-p-cymene){(IMes)P}RuH] as the putative catalytically active species.

Examining the Modular Synthesis of [Cp*Rh] Monohydrides Supported by Chelating Diphosphine Ligands

[Cp*Rh] hydride complexes are invoked as intermediates in certain catalytic cycles, but few of these species have been successfully prepared and isolated, contributing to a relative shortage of information on the properties of such species. Here, the synthesis, isolation, and characterization of two [Cp*Rh] hydrides are reported; the hydrides are supported by the chelating diphosphine ligands bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) and 4,5-bis(diphenylphosphino)-9,9-dimethylxanthene (Xantphos). In both systems, reduction of the precursor Rh(III) chloride complexes with Na(Hg) results in the clean formation of isolable, formally 18e– Rh(I) species, and subsequent protonation by addition of near-stoichiometric quantities of anilinium triflate to the Rh(I) species returns high yields of the desired monohydride complexes. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data for these compounds provide evidence of direct Rh–H interactions, confirmed by complementary infrared spectra showing Rh–H stretching frequencies at 1982 cm–1 (for the dppm-supported hydride) and 1936 cm–1 (for the Xantphos-supported hydride). Findings from comprehensive multinuclear NMR experiments reveal the properties of the unique and especially rich spin systems for the dppm-supported hydride; multifrequency NMR studies in concert with spectral simulations enabled a full characterization of splitting patterns attributable to couplings involving heterotopic methylene protons for this complex. When they are taken together with prior reports of related monohydrides, the results show that the reduction/protonation reaction sequence is modular for the preparation of [Cp*Rh] monohydrides supported by diverse diphosphine ligands spanning from four- to eight-membered rhodacycles.

An Amine-Assisted Ionic Monohydride Mechanism Enables Selective Alkyne cis-Semihydrogenation with Ethanol: From Elementary Steps to Catalysis.

The selective synthesis of Z-alkenes in alkyne semihydrogenation relies on the reactivity difference of the catalysts toward the starting materials and the products. Here we report Z-selective semihydrogenation of alkynes with ethanol via a coordination-induced ionic monohydride mechanism. The EtOH-coordination-driven Cl- dissociation in a pincer Ir(III) hydridochloride complex (NCP)IrHCl (1) forms a cationic monohydride, [(NCP)IrH(EtOH)]+Cl-, that reacts selectively with alkynes over the corresponding Z-alkenes, thereby overcoming competing thermodynamically dominant alkene Z-E isomerization and overreduction. The challenge for establishing a catalytic cycle, however, lies in the alcoholysis step; the reaction of the alkyne insertion product (NCP)IrCl(vinyl) with EtOH does occur, but very slowly. Surprisingly, the alcoholysis does not proceed via direct protonolysis of the Ir-C(vinyl) bond. Instead, mechanistic data are consistent with an anion-involved alcoholysis pathway involving ionization of (NCP)IrCl(vinyl) via EtOH-for-Cl substitution and reversible protonation of Cl- ion with an Ir(III)-bound EtOH, followed by β-H elimination of the ethoxy ligand and C(vinyl)-H reductive elimination. The use of an amine is key to the monohydride mechanism by promoting the alcoholysis. The 1-amine-EtOH catalytic system exhibits an unprecedented level of substrate scope, generality, and compatibility, as demonstrated by Z-selective reduction of all alkyne classes, including challenging enynes and complex polyfunctionalized molecules. Comparison with a cationic monohydride complex bearing a noncoordinating BArF- ion elucidates the beneficial role of the Cl- ion in controlling the stereoselectivity, and comparison between 1-amine-EtOH and 1-NaOtBu-EtOH underscores the fact that this base variable, albeit in catalytic amounts, leads to different mechanisms and consequently different stereoselectivity.

Bimetallics in a Nutshell: Complexes Supported by Chelating Naphthyridine-Based Ligands.

Bimetallic motifs are a structural feature common to some of the most effective and synthetically useful catalysts known, including in the active sites of many metalloenzymes and on the surfaces of industrially relevant heterogeneous materials. However, the complexity of these systems often hampers detailed studies of their fundamental properties. To glean valuable mechanistic insight into how these catalysts function, this research group has prepared a family of dinucleating 1,8-naphthyridine ligands that bind two first-row transition metals in close proximity, originally designed to help mimic the proposed active site of metal oxide surfaces. Of the various bimetallic combinations examined, dicopper(I) is particularly versatile, as neutral bridging ligands adopt a variety of different binding modes depending on the configuration of frontier orbitals available to interact with the Cu centers. Organodicopper complexes are readily accessible, either through the traditional route of salt metathesis or via the activation of tetraarylborate anions through aryl group abstraction by a dicopper(I) unit. The resulting bridging aryl complexes engage in C-H bond activations, notably with terminal alkynes to afford bridging alkynyl species. The μ-hydrocarbyl complexes are surprisingly tolerant of water and elevated temperatures. This stability was leveraged to isolate a species that typically represents a fleeting intermediate in Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne coupling (CuAAC); reaction of a bridging alkynyl complex with an organic azide afforded the first example of a well-defined, symmetrically bridged dicopper triazolide. This complex was shown to be an intermediate during CuAAC, providing support for a proposed bimetallic mechanism. These platforms are not limited to formally low oxidation states; chemical oxidation of the hydrocarbyl complexes cleanly results in formation of mixed valence CuICuII complexes with varying degrees of distortion in both the bridging moiety and the dicopper core. Higher oxidation states, e.g., dicopper(II), are easily accessed via oxidation of a dicopper(I) compound with air to give a CuII2(μ-OH)2 complex. Reduction of this compound with silanes resulted in the unexpected formation of pentametallic copper(I) dihydride clusters or trimetallic monohydride complexes, depending on the nature of the silane. Finally, development of an unsymmetrical naphthyridine ligand with mixed donor side-arms enables selective synthesis of an isostructural series of six heterobimetallic complexes, demonstrating the power of ligand design in the preparation of heterometallic assemblies.

Competing H2 versus Intramolecular C–H Activation at a Dinuclear Nickel Complex via Metal–Metal Cooperative Oxidative Addition

Nickel(I) metalloradicals bear great potential for the reductive activation of challenging substrates but are often too unstable to be isolated. Similar chemistry may be enabled by nickel(II) hydrides that store the reducing equivalents in hydride bonds and reductively eliminate H2 upon substrate binding. Here we present a pyrazolate-based bis(β-diketiminato) ligand [LPh]3- with bulky m-terphenyl substituents that can host two Ni-H units in close proximity. Complexes [LPh(NiII-H)2]- (3) are prone to intramolecular reductive H2 elimination, and an equilibrium between 3 and orthometalated dinickel(II) monohydride complexes 2 is evidenced. 2 is shown to form via intramolecular metal-metal cooperative phenyl group C(sp2)-H oxidative addition to the dinickel(I) intermediate [LPhNiI2]- (4). While NiI species have been implicated in catalytic C-H functionalization, discrete activation of C-H bonds at NiI complexes has rarely been described. The reversible H2 and C-H reductive elimination/oxidative addition equilibrium smoothly unmasks the powerful 2-electron reductant 4 from either 2 or 3, which is demonstrated by reaction with benzaldehyde. A dramatic cation effect is observed for the rate of interconversion of 2 and 3 and also for subsequent thermally driven formation of a twice orthometalated dinickel(II) complex 6. X-ray crystallographic and NMR titration studies indicate distinct interaction of the Lewis acidic cation with 2 and 3. The present system allows for the unmasking of a highly reactive [LPhNiI2]- intermediate 4 either via elimination of H2 from dihydride 3 or via reductive C-H elimination from monohydride 2. The latter does not release any H2 byproduct and adds a distinct platform for metal-metal cooperative two-electron substrate reductions while circumventing the isolation of any unstable superreduced form of the bimetallic scaffold.

Mechanism and Stereoselectivity of the Elementometalation Process of Activated Alkyne RCCR(RCO2 Me) by Cp2 TaH3.

The elementometalation process is a fundamental chemical step in several catalytic cycles. In this work, density functional theory computations have elucidated the detailed elementometalation mechanism of activated alkyne RCCR(RCO2 Me) by Cp2 TaH3 and rationalized the selectivity in experimental findings. The calculated results show that in the formation process of (E)-olefin monohydride((E)-Pro), the Gibbs free energy barrier is low and the entire reaction is spontaneous and exothermic; thus, (E)-Pro can be formed easily. The formation of (Z)-η2 -olefin monohydride complex ((Z)-Pro) is difficult due to its high Gibbs free energy barrier. The formation process (E)-Pro consists of the following five steps: hydride H1-shift, conformational isomerism 1, hydride H2-shift, conformational isomerism 2, and olefin coordination process. Topological analysis shows that there is a five-membered ring plane structure in the reaction pathway and that the final product (E)-Pro belongs to a typical η2 -olefin monohydride complex. Our calculated results provide an explanation for experimental observations and useful insights for further development of olefin functionalization. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Asymmetric Hydrogenation of Aryl Perfluoroalkyl Ketones Catalyzed by Rhodium(III) Monohydride Complexes Bearing Josiphos Ligands.

The asymmetric hydrogenation of 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenones and aryl perfluoroalkyl ketones was developed using a unique, well-defined chloride-bridged dinuclear rhodium(III) complex bearing Josiphos-type diphosphine ligands. These complexes were prepared from [RhCl(cod)]2 , Josiphos ligands, and hydrochloric acid. As catalyst precursors, they allow for the efficient and enantioselective synthesis (up to 99 % ee) of chiral secondary alcohols with perfluoroalkyl groups. This system does not require an activating base for the hydrogenation of 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenones. Additionally, the enantioselective C=O hydrogenations of 2-phenyl-3-(haloacetyl)-indoles, a class of privileged structures in medicinal chemistry, is reported for the first time.

Pyridyl based ruthenium(II) catalyst precursors and their dihydride analogues as the catalytically active species for the transfer hydrogenation of ketones

In this study we describe the one-pot and high yield synthesis of the ruthenium(II) complex cis-dichloride [RuCl2(PPh3)2(L1)] (L1 = 4-methyl-2-(2′-pyridyl)quinoline) (1). The solid state structure of L1 is described. The catalytic activity of 1 in the transfer hydrogenation of various ketones by 2-propanol at 82 °C, has been studied and compared with the activity of the known catalyst precursors cis-[RuCl2(PPh3)2(L2)] (L2 = 2-(2'-pyridyl)quinoline) (2), cis-[RuCl2(PPh3)2(L3)] (L3 = 2-(2′-pyridyl)quinoxaline) (3) and cis-[RuCl2(PPh3)2(bipy)] (bipy = 2,2′-bipyridine) (4). The ruthenium monohydride complex [RuHCl(PPh3)2(L3)] 3-H (Cl cis to H) was prepared from the reaction of 3 with 2.5 equivalents of a KOiPr solution. Reaction of 3 with 10 equivalents of KOiPr yields the cis-[RuH2(PPh3)2(L3)] (3-H2). Treatment of 1, 2 and 4 with KOiPr (in excess) affords the ruthenium cis-dihydride complexes [RuH2(PPh3)2(L1)] (1-H2), [RuH2(PPh3)2(L2)] (2-H2) and [RuH2(PPh3)2(bipy)] (4-H2). The formation of 1-H2, 2-H2, 3-H2 and 4-H2 is supported by NMR spectroscopic data. The cis-dihydrides 1-H2 to 4-H2 catalyze successfully the transfer hydrogenation of benzophenone to benzhydrol in the absence of a base, suggesting that presumably the active catalyst is a ruthenium dihydride complex (RuH2). Catalyst 1 has been potentially recovered and reused at least four times.

Gas-Phase Hydrogenation with Parahydrogen Over Immobilized Vaska’s Complex

Abstract Generating parahydrogen-induced polarization (PHIP) of nuclear spins with immobilized transition metal complexes as hydrogenation catalysts allows one to produce pure hyperpolarized substances, which can open new revolutionary perspectives for PHIP applications. A major drawback of immobilized complexes is their low stability under reaction conditions. In the present work we studied an immobilized iridium complex, Ir/SiO2 P, synthesized by a covalent anchoring of Vaska’s complex on phospine-modified silica gel. This complex was used to obtain hyperpolarized gasses in the gas phase hydrogenation of propene, propyne and 1-butyne with parahydrogen in PASADENA and ALTADENA experiments. It was found that, in contrast to other immobilized complexes, Ir/SiO2 P is stable under reaction conditions at up to 140°C, and the reduction of iridium does not occur according to XPS analysis. Moreover, the application of Ir/SiO2 P catalyst allowed us to generate continuous flow of hyperpolarized propene and 1-butene with (300–500)-fold NMR signal enhancement which is significantly higher than commonly observed for most supported metal catalysts. The shape of polarized propene signals in PASADENA experiment has indicated that parahydrogen addition to propyne occurs non-stereospecifically, i.e. PHIP was observed for all protons of the vinyl fragment of propene. The analysis of the polarized signals has shown that syn pairwise addition dominates, which was confirmed by spectra simulations. It was found that storage of Ir/SiO2 P under Ar atmosphere leads to a decrease in PHIP amplitude and an increase in the activity of the catalyst. This observation is discussed in terms of the interaction of Ir/SiO2 P with trace amounts of oxygen in Ar, leading to partial oxidation of triphenylphosphine ligand to triphenylphosphine oxide accompanied by the activation of the immobilized complex. It was also found that the interaction of Ir/SiO2 P with alkenes likely leads to formation of stable monohydride complexes, decreasing the production of PHIP in hydrogenations. At the same time, stable substrate complexes are likely formed in alkyne hydrogenations, leading to a significant decrease in the monohydride complex formation and to an increased production of PHIP.

Photochemistry of Transition Metal Hydrides.

Photochemical reactivity associated with metal-hydrogen bonds is widespread among metal hydride complexes and has played a critical part in opening up C-H bond activation. It has been exploited to design different types of photocatalytic reactions and to obtain NMR spectra of dilute solutions with a single pulse of an NMR spectrometer. Because photolysis can be performed on fast time scales and at low temperature, metal-hydride photochemistry has enabled determination of the molecular structure and rates of reaction of highly reactive intermediates. We identify five characteristic photoprocesses of metal monohydride complexes associated with the M-H bond, of which the most widespread are M-H homolysis and R-H reductive elimination. For metal dihydride complexes, the dominant photoprocess is reductive elimination of H2. Dihydrogen complexes typically lose H2 photochemically. The majority of photochemical reactions are likely to be dissociative, but hydride complexes may be designed with equilibrated excited states that undergo different photochemical reactions, including proton transfer or hydride transfer. The photochemical mechanisms of a few reactions have been analyzed by computational methods, including quantum dynamics. A section on specialist methods (time-resolved spectroscopy, matrix isolation, NMR, and computational methods) and a survey of transition metal hydride photochemistry organized by transition metal group complete the Review.

Synthesis and Reactivity of a Water-soluble NiRu Monohydride Complex with a Tethered Pyridine Moiety

We report the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of a NiRu monohydride complex with a pyridine-bound hexamethylbenzene ligand. We investigate the mechanistic insights it provides on the H2...

Isolation of a bis(imino)pyridine molybdenum(i) iodide complex through controlled reduction and interconversion of its reaction products.

Analysis of previously reported [((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI][I] by cyclic voltammetry revealed a reversible wave at -1.20 V vs. Fc(+/0), corresponding to the Mo(ii)/Mo(i) redox couple. Reduction of [((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI][I] using stoichiometric K/naphthalene resulted in ligand deprotonation rather than reduction to yield a Mo(ii) monoiodide complex featuring a Mo-C bond to the α-position of one imine substituent, (κ(6)-P,N,N,N,C,P-(Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI. Successful isolation of the inner-sphere Mo(i) monoiodide complex, ((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI, was achieved via reduction of [((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI][I] with equimolar Na/naphthalene. This complex was found to have a near octahedral coordination geometry by single crystal X-ray diffraction and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy revealed an unpaired Mo-based electron which is highly delocalized onto the PDI chelate core. Attempts to prepare a Mo(i) monohydride complex upon adding NaEt3BH to ((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI resulted in disproportionation to yield an equimolar quantity of (κ(6)-P,N,N,N,C,P-(Ph2PPr)PDI)MoH and newly identified ((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoH2. Independent preparation of ((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoH2 was achieved by adding 2 equiv. NaEt3BH to [((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI][I] and a minimum hydride resonance T1 of 176 ms suggests that the Mo-bound H atoms are best described as classical hydrides. Interestingly, ((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoH2 can be converted to (κ(6)-P,N,N,N,C,P-(Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI upon iodomethane addition, while ((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoH2 is prepared from (κ(6)-P,N,N,N,C,P-(Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI in the presence of excess NaEt3BH. Similarly, (κ(6)-P,N,N,N,C,P-(Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI can be converted to (κ(6)-P,N,N,N,C,P-(Ph2PPr)PDI)MoH with 1 equiv. of NaEt3BH, while the opposite transformation occurs following iodomethane addition to (κ(6)-P,N,N,N,C,P-(Ph2PPr)PDI)MoH. Facile interconversion between [((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI][I], (κ(6)-P,N,N,N,C,P-(Ph2PPr)PDI)MoI, (κ(6)-P,N,N,N,C,P-(Ph2PPr)PDI)MoH, and ((Ph2PPr)PDI)MoH2 is expected to guide future reactivity studies on this unique set of compounds.