Nickel atom - ligand reactions: evidence for an unstable η3-benzylnickel species from mixed-ligand cocondensation with nickel atoms

Article abstract of DOI:10.1139/v82-381

Detailed studies of nickel atom - benzyl halide cocondensation reactions, with and without a second organic ligand, have been carried out.Benzyl halides (X = Cl, Br) when cocondensed with nickel atoms at -196 deg C give no isolable organonickel product but only bibenzyl and nickel(II) halide, indicative of an initial unstable benzylnickel compound.Allyl chloride/benzyl chloride mixtures do not give the stable η³-allylnickel chloride, but instead a highly-unstable sublimable yellow solid which apparently is the η³-benzylnickel chloride dimer.All of this work indicates complexities in the initial metal atom interactions with the ligands.A further case is reported in which the presence of aluminosilicate insulating wool drastically changes the products obtained.