Oxidation-state and metal-ion dependent stereoisomerization in oxo molybdenum and tungsten complexes of a bulky alkoxy heteroscorpionate ligand

Monooxo Mo(V) complexes of a N2O heteroscorpionate ligand designated (L10O) are found to exist as isolable cis and trans isomers. We have been able to trap the kinetically labile cis isomer and follow its isomerization to the thermodynamically more stable trans form. We have also followed the kinetics of isomerization between the cis and trans isomers of the corresponding dioxo Mo(VI) and W(VI) species. Here the trans is the labile isomer that spontaneously converts to the thermodynamically more stable cis. It is observed that at 60 degrees C in DMSO the Mo(VI) complex isomerizes approximately 6.5 times faster than the Mo(V) and nearly 5 times faster than the corresponding W(VI) analogs. The temperature dependence to the kinetics of the Mo(V) and Mo(VI) isomerizations give activation parameters that are similar for both oxidation states and consistent with those previously observed in [(L1O)MoOCl2] suggesting a similar twist mechanism is operating in all cases. Thus there are oxidation state, metal ion and donor atom dependent differences in isomeric stability that could have significant implications for understanding the mechanisms of both enzymatic and nonenzymatic oxo atom transfer reactions catalyzed by complexes of Mo, W and Re.