Cycloheptatrienemolybdenum tricarbonyl is the organomolybdenum compound with the formula (C7H8)Mo(CO)3. It is a red-orange solid that is soluble in nonpolar organic solvents. The compound has no practical value but is a prototypical complex of cycloheptatriene.
Synthesis, structure, and reactions The compound is prepared by thermal reaction of the triene with molybdenum hexacarbonyl:F. A. Cotton, J. A. McCleverty, J. E. White, "Cycloheptatrienemolybdenum(0) Tricarbonyl" Inorganic Syntheses 1967, volume 9, pp. 121–122. C7H8 + Mo(CO)6 → (C7H8)Mo(CO)3 + 3 CO
The compound is a piano stool complex, consisting of Mo(CO)3 bound to six carbon centers of the triene. The methylene group projects from the plane of the six coordinated carbon atoms.J. D. Dunitz and P. Pauling "Struktur des Cycloheptatrien-molybdän-tricarbonyls, C7H8Mo(CO)3" Helv. Chim. Acta 1960 volume 43, pp. 2188-2197.
The compound reacts with trityl salts to give the cycloheptatrienyl complex:M. L. H. Green, D. K. P. Ng "Cycloheptatriene and -enyl Complexes of the Early Transition Metals" Chemical Reviews 1995, volume 95, pp. 439-73. (C7H8)Mo(CO)3 + (C6H5)3C+ → [(C7H7)Mo(CO)3]+ + (C6H5)3CH
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