Synthesis and structural characterisation of an unusual tetranuclear oxomolybdenum(VI) complex of dihydroxybenzoquinone, [Mo4O10(O4C6H2)2]2–, and a comparison with the mononuclear chloranilate complex [MoO2(HO4C6Cl2)(O4C6Cl2)]1–

While reaction of the sterically encumbered chloranil group with (Mo2O7)2– yields the mononuclear species [MoO2(L)(LH)]1–(L = C6O4Cl2), dihydroxylbenzoquinone under similar conditions yields the tetranuclear cluster [(Mo2O5)2(C6H2O4)]2–, a species with magnetically coupled semiquinone ligands.