40
H.B. Friedrich et al. / Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 633 (2001) 39–50
compounds where L=P(OPh3) and X=Cl, Br and I
are known [8]. The only previously reported long-chain
halogenoalkyl compounds of molybdenum are
[Cp(CO)3Mo{(CH2)nX}] (n=3, X=Cl, Br, I; n=4,
X=Br, I), Cp*(CO)3Mo{(CH2)3Br}] (Cp*=C5(CH3)5)
and [Cp(CO)2(PPh3)Mo{(CH2)3Br}] [9–12]. We now
report on the syntheses and properties of the com-
pounds [Cp(CO)2(PPhiMe3−i)Mo{(CH2)nX}] (n=3, 4;
i=0–3; X=Br, I) and [Cp*(CO)3Mo{(CH2)nX}] (n=
3, 4; X=Br, I) and the structure of [Cp(CO)2(PPh3)-
Mo{(CH2)3I}]. We also report on a new, high-yielding
synthetic route to the tungsten analogues, [Cp(CO)3W-
{(CH2)nBr}] (n=3–6), the crystal structure of
[Cp(CO)3W{(CH2)3Br}] and the crystal structure of
[Cp(CO)3W{(CH2)5I}]. To our knowledge, the latter is
vents in air. Remarkably, they dissolve in water in air
to give stable yellow solutions. The unchanged
halogenoalkyl compound can then be recovered. The
decomposition product in hexane appears to be the
dimer, [Cp(CO)3W]2, whilst the decomposition products
in chloroform include elemental tungsten.
The compounds [Cp(CO)2(PPhiMe3−i)Mo{(CH2)n-
Br}] (n=3, 4; i=0–3) and [Cp*(CO)3Mo{(CH2)nBr}]
(n=3, 4) were also prepared by the method shown in
Eq. (1), namely by reacting the corresponding anion
with the dihalogenoalkane.
The bromoalkyl compounds were then reacted with
NaI in acetone at room temperature to give the corre-
sponding iodo compounds, [Cp(CO)2LM{(CH2)nI}], in
high yield (Eq. (2)).
the first reported structure of
halogenoalkyl compound.
a
long-chain
[(h5-C5R5)(CO)2LM{(CH2)nBr}]+NaI
[(h5-C5R5)(CO)2LM{(CH2)nI}]+NaBr
(2)
where M=Mo; n=3, 4; R=H; L=PPh3, PPh2Me,
PPhMe2, PMe3; R=CH3, L=CO. M=W; n=3–6;
R=H; L=CO.
2. Results and discussion
Although the bromoalkyl compounds of iron and
ruthenium, [Cp(CO)2M{(CH2)nX}] (M=Fe, Ru), have
to be prepared at low temperature to prevent the
formation of the binuclear compounds, [Cp(CO)2M-
(CH2)nM(CO)2Cp], these conditions give very low
yields for the analogous tungsten and molybdenum
compounds, regardless of reaction times. We find that
contrary to general expectations, the reaction of
Na[Cp(CO)3W] with excess Br(CH2)nBr (n=3–6) un-
der reflux in THF affords the compounds
[Cp(CO)3W{(CH2)nBr}] in high yield (Eq. (1)), confirm-
ing that the anion [Cp(CO)3W]− is a significantly
weaker nucleophile than the cyclopentadienyldicar-
bonyl anions of iron and ruthenium [13].
The bromoalkyl compound [Cp(CO)2(PPh3)Mo-
{(CH2)nBr}], where n=3, has been shown to react with
KCN or LiI in refluxing methanol or THF respectively
to form the cyclic carbene compounds [XCp(CO)-
(PPh3)Mo{CO(CH2)2CH2}], X=I, CN [14], thus
demonstrating the significant effect of temperature and
solvent on the reactions of these haloalkyl compounds,
both in terms of yield and in which product is formed.
The molybdenum bromoalkyl compounds do, however,
form cyclic carbene compounds on reaction with NaI in
acetone over longer reaction times (\24 h). The
[Cp(CO)3W{(CH2)nI}] compounds have been reported
previously [5] and we thus only report data for these
compounds, where our data differ significantly from the
literature [15].
Na[(h5-C5R5)(CO)2LM]+Br(CH2)nBr
The molybdenum iodoalkyl compounds could also
be obtained by the reaction of the respective anion with
I(CH2)nI, which, after chromatography under N2, gave
analytically pure compounds. Yields, however, are low
and the method is not viable.
(h5-C5R5)(CO)2LM{(CH2)nBr}]+NaBr
(1)
where M=Mo; n=3, 4; R=H; L=PPh3, PPh2Me,
PPhMe2, PMe3; R=CH3; L=CO. M=W; n=3–6;
R=H; L=CO.
Clearly the halogenoalkyl compounds of tungsten are
less thermally labile than expected. The dinuclear com-
pounds, [Cp(CO)3W(CH2)nW(CO)3Cp], are not formed.
The compounds, [Cp(CO)3W{(CH2)nBr}], are obtained
in analytically pure form by recrystallisation from a
dilute CH2Cl2–hexane solution at −78°C. Analytically
pure yields in excess of 90% are obtained by this
method, which are some 20% higher than the previ-
ously reported method [5]. Chromatography of these
compounds, which is essential for the iron analogues
[4], is not needed and leads to product loss due to
decomposition. The compounds are fairly stable in air
in the solid state and are stable in solution under
nitrogen, but decompose very rapidly in organic sol-
All compounds (Scheme 1) were obtained as yellow
solids or oils. Characterisation data for the compounds
are reported in Tables 1–3. From Table 1 it can be seen
that the melting points of the compounds decrease
steadily as methyl groups sequentially replace phenyl
groups in the coordinated tertiary phosphine. The melt-
ing points thus decrease with decreasing cone angle and
increasing pKa of the phosphine. The melting points for
the compounds where n=3 are higher than those for
where n=4. This is as observed for halogenoalkyl iron
compounds, as well as for linear unsubstituted
paraffins, and can be ascribed to crystal packing factors
[16–18]. In the IR spectra, the carbonyl bands move to
slightly lower wavenumbers as the halogen changes