Use of dipotassium cyanamide for the synthesis of cyanoimido (NCN2−) complexes of tungsten and cobalt

Three transition metal cyanoimido (NCN2−) complexes, (Cp*WS2)2(μ-NCN) (1) (Cp* = η5-C5Me5), K[(Cp*WS2)2(NCN)] (2) and {[(bipy)2Co]2(μ-NCN)2}(ClO4)2 (3), were synthesized from dipotassium cyanamide, and their structures were determined.