REACTIVITY OF [M(CO)(4)(NBD)] (M=CR OR MO, NBD EQUALS NORBORNADIENE) TOWARD (PH(2)PN)C(PH)[N(SIME(3))(2)] AND C6H4(C[N(SIME(3))(2)]-(NPPH(2)))(2)-1,4

The interaction of (Ph(2)PN)C(Ph)[N(SiMe(3))(2)] with 1 equivalent of [M(CO)(4)(nbd)] (M = Cr or Mo, nbd = norbornadiene) in diethyl ether g ave cis-[M(CO)(4){(Me(3)SiN)C(Ph)(NHPPh(2)}] (M = Cr 1 or Mo 2)in good yield. The interaction of C6H4{C(NPPh(2))[N(SiMe(3))(2)]}(2)-1,4 with 2 equivalents of [M(CO)(4)(nbd)] (M = Cr or Mo) in tetrahydrofuran ga ve the symmetric dimer }{(Ph(2)PNH)(Me(3)SiN)CC6H4C(NSiMe(3))(NHPPh(2) )}] (M = Cr 3 or Mo 4) in moderate yield. However, in diethyl ether, t his reaction (M = Mo) gave the unsymmetric Me(3)SiN)CC6H4C[N(SiMe(3))( 2)](NPPh(2))}Mo(CO)(5)] 5 in moderate yield. Compounds 1-5 have been f ully characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods and the str uctures of 3 and 5 have been established by X-ray crystallography. A 1 ,3-silyl shift mechanism has been proposed for the formation of the pr oducts. The NH proton of the bidentate iminophosphine ligand undergoes facile deuterium exchange with D2O at ambient temperature.