This colorless solid, like its chromium, tungsten, and seaborgium analogues, is noteworthy as a volatile, air-stable derivative of a metal in its zero oxidation state.

A recurring minor debate in some chemical circles concerns the definition of an "organometallic" compound.

As described in a 2023 survey of methods "most cost-effective routes for the synthesis of group 6 hexacarbonyls are based on the reduction of the metal chlorides (CrCl3, MoCl5 or WCl6) with magnesium, zinc or aluminium powders... under CO pressures".

For instance, the reaction of [Mo(CO)4(piperidine)2] with triphenyl phosphine in boiling dichloromethane (b.p.

Molybdenum hexacarbonyl is widely used in electron beam-induced deposition technique - it is easily vaporized and decomposed by the electron beam providing a convenient source of molybdenum atoms.