Oxidative Coupling of Terminal Rhenium Pnictide Complexes.

The isolation of rhenium(V) complexes with terminal phosphide and arsenide ligands was achieved upon decarbonylation of rhenium(III) pnictaethynolates. One-electron oxidation of the pnictide complexes yielded Pn-Pn (Pn=P, As) coupling products, which were spectroscopically and crystallographically characterized. Computational bond analysis suggests that these complexes are best described as {Pn(2)}(0) complexes that are stabilized by donor-acceptor interactions with the metal and a pyrazole ligand.