Dimethyldioxirane oxidation of phosphide PMo[N(R)Ar](3) [R = C(CD3)(2)
Me, Ar = C6H3Me2-3,5] efficiently provides (OP)Mo[N(R)Ar](3), a comple
x shown by X-ray crystallography to contain a terminal phosphorus mono
xide ligand, and which reacts with dimethylzirconocene to give additio
n of a Zr-Me bond across the phosphoryl moiety.