Dioxomolybdenum(VI) complexes of hydrazone phenolate ligands - syntheses and activities in catalytic oxidation reactions

The new cis-dioxomolybdenum (VI) complexes [MoO₂(L²)(H₂O)] (2) and [MoO₂(L³)(H₂O)] (3) containing the tridentate hydrazone-based ligands (H₂L² = N'-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzylidene)-4-methylbenzohydrazide and H₂L³ = N'-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-2-(hydroxyimino)propanehydrazide) have been synthesized and characterized via IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The catalytic activities of complexes 2 and 3, and the analogous known complex [MoO₂(L¹)(H₂O)] (1) (H₂L¹ = N'-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-4-methylbenzohydrazide) have been evaluated for various oxidation reactions, viz. oxygen atom transfer from dimethyl sulfoxide to triphenylphosphine, sulfoxidation of methyl-p-tolylsulfide or epoxidation of different alkenes using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as terminal oxidant. The catalytic activities were found to be comparable for all three complexes, but complexes 1 and 3 showed better catalytic performances than complex 2, which contains a more sterically demanding ligand than the other two complexes.