Syntheses, structures, and stabilities of [PPh(4)][WS(3)(SR)](R=(i)Bu,(i)Pr,(i)Bu, benzyl, allyl) and [PPh(4)][MoS(3)(S(t)Bu)].

Intermediates in the condensation process of MS(4)(-) (M = Mo, W) to polythiometalates, in the presence of alkyl halides, had not been reported prior to our communication of [PPh(4)][WS(3)(SEt)] (Boorman, P. M.; Wang, M.; Parvez, M. J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun. 1995, 999-1000). We now report the isolation of a range of related compounds, with 1 degrees, 2 degrees, and 3 degrees alkyl thiolate ligands, including one Mo example. [PPh(4)][WS(3)(SR)] (R = (i)Bu (1), (i)Pr (2), (t)Bu (3), benzyl (5), allyl (6)) and [PPh(4)][MoS(3)(S(t)Bu)] (4) have been isolated in fair to good yields from the reaction of PPh(4)[MS(4)] with the appropriate alkyl halide in acetonitrile and subjected to analysis by X-ray crystallography. Crystal data are as follows: for 1, triclinic space group P1 (No. 2), a = 11.0377(6) A, b = 11.1307(5) A, c = 13.6286(7) A, alpha = 82.941(1) degrees, beta = 84.877(1) degrees, gamma = 60.826(1) degrees, Z = 2; for 2, monoclinic space group P2(1)/c (No. 14), a = 9.499(6) A, b = 15.913(5) A, c = 18.582(6) A, beta = 99.29(4) degrees, Z = 4; for 3, monoclinic space group P2(1)/n (No. 14), a = 10.667(2) A, b = 17.578(2) A, c = 16.117(3) A, beta = 101.67(1) degrees, Z = 4; for 4, monoclinic space group P2(1)/n (No. 14), a = 10.558(3) A, b = 17.477(3) A, c = 15.954(3) A, beta = 101.18(2) degrees, Z = 4; for 5, monoclinic space group P2(1)/n (No. 14), a = 16.2111(9) A, b = 11.0080(6) A, c = 18.1339(10) A, beta = 111.722(1) degrees, Z = 4; for 6, triclinic space group P1 (No. 2), a = 9.4716(9) A, b = 10.4336(10) A, c = 14.4186(14) A, alpha = 100.183(2) degrees, beta = 90.457(2) degrees, gamma = 91.747(2) degrees, Z = 2. Structures 3 and 4 are isomorphous, and 1 exhibits disorder about the tertiary carbon. 6 has been shown to exhibit fluxionality in solution by variable-temperature (1)H NMR studies, and an allyl migration mechanism is implicated in this process. The kinetics for the reaction of WS(4)(-) and EtBr were measured and suggest an associative nucleophilic substitution (S(N)2) mechanism. The decomposition of the WS(3)(SEt) ion is shown to be second order with respect to this ion, suggesting the formation of a transient binuclear intermediate. M-S bond cleavage is the predominant step in decomposition of 1-6 to yield alkyl sulfides, alkyl thiols, and polythiometalates such as PPh(4)[M(3)S(9)]. In contrast, reactions of PPh(4)[WO(x)()S(4)(-)(x)()] (x = 1, 2) with (t)BuBr result in the additional decomposition product of isobutene, presumably by C-S bond cleavage and beta-hydrogen transfer. Interestingly, the reaction of PPh(4)[WOS(3)] with BzCl yields 5 as the only isolable W thiolate species.