ORGANIC CHEMISTRY OF SUBVALENT TRANSITION METAL COMPLEXES XI. OXIDATIVE ADDITIONS OF NICKEL(0) COMPLEXES TO CARBON-CARBON BONDS IN ALKYNES: NICKELIRENES AND NICKELOLES AS CATALYTIC CARRIERS IN THE OLIGOMERIZATION OF ALKYNES

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(86)80327-8

The formation of 2,3,4,5-tetraphenylnickelole-bis(triphenylphosphine) (IIIa) and 2,3,4,5-tetraphenylnickelole-bis(1,2-diphenylphosphino)ethane (IIIb), either from (E,E)-1,2,3,4-tetraphenyl-1,3-butadien-1,4-ylidenedilithium (I) and the corresponding nickel(II) chloride-phosphine complexes (II) or from the reduction of η⁴-tetraphenylcyclobutadienenickel(II) bromide dimer (XII) in the presence of phosphines, proceeds in good yields.Nickelole IIIa displays physical and chemical properties consistent with its structure and is a catalyst for the trimerization of diphenylacetylene.Nickelole IIIb is a highly associated structure but in its chemical response to alkynes, HOAc, O2, Br2, NaAlEt2H2 and heat displays the properties of a nickelole, rather than a cyclobutadienenickel(0) complex.Attempts to generate IIIb photochemically from η⁴-1,5-cyclooctadiene(η⁴-tetraphenylcyclopentadienone)nickel and diphos failed, but it was shown that structural types, such as η⁴-tetraphenylcyclopentadienone(diphos)nickel (a model for the structure suggested by Hoberg and Richter for IIIb), are unstable.Oligomerizations of diphenylacetylene by bis(1,5-cyclooctadiene)nickel were retarded by conducting the reaction in THF or in the presence of diphos.This retardation permitted the interception of products (cis-stilbene and (E,E)-1,2,3,4-tetraphenyl-1,3-butadiene)diagnostic for the intermediacy of nickelirenes and nickeloles.Deuterium labeling verified the presence of carbo-nickel bonds.These trapping experiments, together with findings on the thermal behavior of nickeloles, are combined into a comprehensive view of the cyclotrimerization, cyclotetramerization and linear polymerization of alkynes by nickel(0).