Synthesis and reactivity of air-stable isolable anionic Group 6 molybdenum and tungsten carbene complexes with a metal-centred negative charge

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Abstract

The first air-stable anionic carbene complexes with a metal-centred negative charge [TpMe2(CO)2M=C(CN) 2]- (3a, M=Mo; 3b, M=W), [TpMe2,4Cl (CO)2Mo=C(CN)2]- (4), [Tpi-Pr,4Br(CO)2Mo=C(CN)2] - (5) and [TpMe2(CO)2Mo= C(CN)R]- (11a-d, R=substituted alkyl) have been synthesised by addition of cyanide anion to the corresponding chlorocarbyne complexes 1, 6, 7 or to the alkylcarbyne complexes 9a-d. Carbene complexes 3 and 11 are stereochemically rigid with the plane of the carbene ligand coinciding with the molecular mirror plane. The electron-rich carbene carbons in these complexes show some of the most highly shielded values of δ Ccarbene so far observed. The dicyanocarbene complexes (3) did not give stable products with electrophiles but the cyano(alkyl)carbene complexes (11b-d) could be doubly alkylated at the CN nitrogen to give the cationic dialkylaminoalkyne complexes [TpMe2(CO)2Mo{η2(C,C)Me2 N-C≡C-R}]+ (12). Complex 11a (R=C(CN)2 CH3) eliminates [CH3C(CN)2]- in the presence of MeI and yields purple TpMe2(CO)2 M≡C-CN (2a), the first example of a cyanocarbyne complex and a presumed intermediate in the formation of 3a.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)249-265
Number of pages17
JournalJournal of Organometallic Chemistry
Volume684
Issue number1-2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2003

Keywords

  • Anionic carbene complexes
  • Chlorocarbyne
  • Cyanocarbyne
  • Molybdenum
  • Tungsten

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