Synthesis and reactivity of aziridinocarbene complexes of chromium and tungsten: formation of nitrile and acetiminoester complexes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(90)80256-Y

2-Methylaziridine reacts with alkyl- and aryl-(alkoxy)carbene complexes of chromium and tungsten to give alkyl- and aryl-aziridinocarbene complexes.The latter undergo a thermal transformation to give olefins and alkyl- or aryl-nitrilechromium pentacarbonyl complexes, e.g. (CO)5CrN<*>C-o-tolyl (which has been characterized by X-ray crystallography). 2-Phenylaziridine in turn reacts with the carbene complexes to give directly styrene and the acetiminoester complexes (CO)5WHN=C(CH3)OCH2CH3 and (CO)5CrHN=C(CH3)OCH2CH3.The latter gives, upon hydrolysis (CO)5CrNH3.The structures of (CO)5WHN=C(CH3)OCH2CH3 and (CO)5CrNH3 have been determined by X-ray diffraction.The mechanism of the two reactions are discussed.