The title compound, [Mo(CH2Ph)(2)(C4H9N)(2)], contains two slightly bent im
ido ligands and two benzyl ligands. One of these benzyl ligands is coordina
ted as a simple eta(1)-alkyl ligand, while the other is eta(2)-coordinated
through the CH2 group and the ipso-C atom, i.e. dibenzyl-kappa C-alpha; kap
pa(2)C(1), C-alpha-bis(tert-butylimido-kappa N)molybdenum(VI). Considering
the eta(2)-benzyl ligand as occupying one coordination site, this gives a t
etrahedral geometry around molybdenum, the main angular distortion being a
mutual repulsion of the two strongly pi-donating imido ligands. This comple
x is not crystallographically isostructural with its chromium analogue, but
the two molecular structures are very similar.