Reactions of electrophilic transition metal cations with olefins and small ring compounds. Rearrangements and polymerizations

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(88)87104-3

The reactivity of the cationic, weakly ligated, tranisition metal compounds, (BF4)2 (1); (BF4)2, (M = Ni, 2; Co, 3); (BF4)2, (M = Mo, 4; W, 5), vis-a-vis olefins and strained ring compounds was studied.A number of these species were observed to form a charge-transfer complex with tetra-p-anisylethylene.These compounds were also found to catalyze the skeletal rearrangement and polymerization of appropriately substituted olefins and cyclopropanes.These reactions appear to be initiated by the electrophilic (heterolytic) cleavage of either the ?-bond of the olefin or a strained C-C ?-bond of the small ring compound.