Reactions of aryloxy anions with organometallic aryl cation equivalents; a route to substituted diphenyl ethers

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(88)80160-8

Tricarbonyl(1,4-dichlorobenzene)chromium(0) and chlorobenzene(cyclopentadienyl)iron(II) hexafluorophosphate undergo nucleophilic substitution with sodium phenoxide to give tricarbonyl(4-chloro-1-phenoxybenzene)chromium(0) and phenoxybenzene(cyclopentadienyl)iron(II) hexafluorophosphate, respectively.In the former case, the second chlorine is subsequently displaced by methoxide, and this represents a potencially versatile synthsis of substituted diphenyl ethers.Neither of the complexes react with 2,6-dibromo-4-methylphenoxide, but both phenoxides add to substituted tricarbonylcyclohexadienyliumiron complexes to give neutral tricarbonyldieneiron(0) complexes.