Photochemical reaction of phosphine hydride complexes of molybdenum and tungsten with molecular nitrogen

Nitrogen complexes of molybdenum and tungsten react (rapidly when illuminated but slowly in the dark) with halogen-containing organic compounds to form products containing N-C bonds. Phosphine hydride complexes of type MH/sub 4/L/sub 4/ (M = Mo, W; L = PMePh/sub 2/, PEtPh/sub 2/, PEt/sub 2/Ph, PPrPh/sub 2/, PBuPh/sub 2/) take part in a photochemical reaction with N/sub 2/, giving nitrogen-containing products capable of reduction to hydrazine. We have investigated the composition of the nitrogen-containing photoproducts and the kinetic characteristics of their formation for the case of the complexes MoH/sub 4/(dppe)/sub 2/, WH/sub 4/(dppe)/sub 2/, MoH/sub 4/(PMePh/sub 2/)/sub 4/, WH/sub 4/(PMePh/sub 2/)/sub 4/, where dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane.