Tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methane-based heterobimetallic complexes that contain Zn - and Cd - transition-metal bonds: synthesis, structures, and quantum chemical calculations.

Reactions of the tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methanide amido complexes [M'{C(3,5-Me2 pz)3 }{N(SiMe3 )2 }] (M'=Mg (1 a), Zn (1 b), Cd (1 c); 3,5-Me2 pz=3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl) with two equivalents of the acidic Group 6 cyclopentadienyl (Cp) tricarbonyl hydrides [MCp(CO)3 H] (M=Cr (2 a), Mo (2 b)) gave different types of heterobimetallic complex. In each case, two reactions took place, namely the conversion of the tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)methanide ligand (Tpmd*) into the -methane derivative (Tpm*) and the reaction of the acidic hydride M = H bond with the M' = N(SiMe3 )2 moiety. The latter produces HN(SiMe3 )2 as a byproduct. The Group 2 representatives [Mg(Tpm*){MCp(CO)3 }2 (thf)] (3 a/b) form isocarbonyl bridges between the magnesium and chromium/molybdenum centres, whereas direct metal-metal bonds are formed in the case of the ions Zn(Tpm*){MCp(CO)3 } (4 a/b; MCp(CO)3 as the counteranion) and Cd(Tpm*){MCp(CO)3 }(thf) (5 a/b; Cd{MCp(CO)3 }3 as the counteranion). Complexes 4 a and 5 a/b are the first complexes that contain Zn - Cr, Cd - Cr, and Cd - Mo bonds (bond lengths 251.6, 269.8, and 278.9 pm, respectively). Quantum chemical calculations on 4 a/b* (and also on 5 a/b*) provide evidence for an interaction between the metal atoms.