Connecting Pairs of Dimetal Units To Form Molecular Loops

Four compounds consisting of molecular loops formed from two quadruply bonded Mo2(DAniF)2 (DAniF =
N,N‘-di-p-anisylformamidinate) units linked by two dicarboxylate anions have been prepared in high purity and
essentially quantitative yields. These compounds have been characterized by crystallography and NMR spectroscopy
and display electrochemical behavior dependent on the nature of the dicarboxylate anion. However, the electronic
communication between the two Mo24+ units is not strong. As denoted by the dicarboxylate linkers, the compounds
are malonate, 1, 1,4-phenylendiacetate, 2, homophthalate, 3, and trans-cyclopentane-1,2-dicarboxylate, 4.