Chromium Tricarbonyl η6-Complexes of (η5-Cyclopentadienyl)(η4-1,3-Diphenylcyclobutadiene)Cobalt

The reaction of (η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)(η⁴-1,3-diphenylcyclobutadiene)cobalt ( I ) with excess Cr(CO)₃py₃ in BF₃OEt₂ yielded two identified heterometallic compounds. Compounds II and III with one and two phenyl rings complcxed with Cr(CO)₃ fragment(s), respectively. These compounds were characterized by mass, infrared, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra and elemental analysis. The crystal structure of II was determined. The Cr(CO)₃ fragment bends inward toward the cyclobutadicne ring due to its electron-withdrawing ability, in accord with Hunter's postulate. A sharp line due to the non-complexed phenyl ring was observed in the ¹HNMR spectrum, which implies that five protons are magnetically equivalent. The chemical shifts of two protons of the cyclobutadiene ring decreased from I to II then to III , possibly because of diminished deshielding effect from the phenyl ring in (arene)Cr(CO)₃.     

Rotational Phenomena on Substituent Phenyl Rings of (η5-Cyclopentadienyl)(η4-Tetraphenylcyclobutadiene)Cobalt

We used extended Hückel calculations, variable-temperature, homonuclear long-range shift-correlated 2-D ¹H NMR and dynamic NOE measurements to investigate rotational phenomena of substituent phenyl rings on (η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)(η⁴tetraphenylcyclobutadiene)cobalt (1). Two closely related compounds, (η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)(η⁴-1,3-diphenylcyclobutadiene)cobalt (A) and (η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)(η⁴-1,2-diphenylcyclobutadiene)cobalt (A′), were prepared. Energy minima appeared at conformations of which the dihedral angles between phenyl and cyclobutadiene rings are about 30° for I and 0° for A according to extended Hückel calculations. In 1, ortho protons of phenyl rings belong to one set of multiplet in ¹H NMR; meta and para protons belong to the other. It was supported by a long-range coupling 2-D ¹H NMR and NOE experiments. A sharp line due to phenyl rings was observed in the low-temperature ¹H NMR spectrum of A, which indicates that the five protons are magnetically equivalent at that temperature.     

(η-Cyclopentadienyl)[1-4-η-(5exo-cyclopentadienyl-1,3-cyclopentadien)]cobalt(I)

Reaction of cobaltocene with cyclopentadiene and air results in the formation of the title compound; its structure has been elucidated by spectroscopic and X-ray methods.