Imido-hydrido complexes of Mo(IV): catalysis and mechanistic aspects of hydroboration reactions

Imido-hydrido complexes (ArN) Mo(H)(Cl)(PMe3)(3) (1) and (ArN) Mo(H)(2)(PMe3)(3) (2) (Ar = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) catalyse a variety of hydroboration reactions, including the rare examples of addition of HBCat to nitriles to form bis(borylated) amines RCH2N(BCat)(2). Stoichiometric reactivity of complexes 1 and 2 with nitriles and HBCat suggest that catalytic reactions proceed via a series of agostic borylamido and borylamino complexes. For complex 1, catalysis starts with addition of nitriles across the Mo-H bond to give (ArN)Mo(Cl)(N-CHR)(PMe3)(2); whereas for complex 2 stoichiometric reactions suggest initial addition of HBCat to form the agostic complex Mo(H)(2)(PMe3)(3)(eta(3)-NAr-HBcat) (16).