Homogenous catalysis by group six transition metal clusters sulphides

Abstract

Transition metal clusters constitute a broad class of coordination compounds with important applications in catalysis. Trinuclear cuboidal molybdenum and tungsten sulphides and cubane-type Mo3M’S4 heterobimetallic clusters catalyse several transformations of organic substrates of huge industrial interest to give primary, secondary and tertiary amines, organofluorine compounds and alkenes. In this review, the catalytic activity of these M3S4 (M= molybdenum or tungsten) complexes is investigated in the hydrodefluorination, the semihydrogenation of alkynes and four type of reductions of nitroarenes, transfer hydrogenation, hydrogenation, hydrosylilation and reductive amination reactions. All the catalytic transformations are proved to be cluster catalysis. However, the mechanisms of these catalytic transformations are different. [...]