Terminal chloroaminophosphido and aminophosphinidene complexes of molybdenum

The phosphido complex [Cp*Mo(CO)3P(Cl)NiPr2] (1, Cp*=C5(CH3)5) was formed by the reaction of Li[Cp*Mo(CO)3] with iPr2NPCl2. Chloride abstraction from 1 leads to the aminophosphinidene complex [Cp*(CO)3MoPNiPr2][AlCl4] (2) which reacts with phenylacetylene to form the metalaphosphacyclobutene complex [Cp*(CO)3H}][AlCl4] (3).