Cleavage of dinitrogen to yield a (t-BuPOCOP)molybdenum(iv) nitride

(t-BuPOCOP)MoI(2) (1; t-BuPOCOP = C(6)H(3)-1,3-[OP(t-Bu)(2)](2)) has been synthesized from MoI(3)(THF)(3). Upon reduction of 1 with Na/Hg under dinitrogen molecular nitrogen is cleaved to form [(t-BuPOCOP)Mo(I)(N)](-). The origin of the N atom was confirmed using (15)N(2). Protonation of [(t-BuPOCOP)Mo(I)(N)](-) results in the formation of a neutral species in which it is proposed that the proton has added across the Mo-P bond.