Diphosphan-tetraphenylnickelacyclopentadien

Reaction of 1,2-bis(diorganophosphino)ethanenickel dibromide (I) with 1,2,3,4-tetraphenyl-1,4-dilithiumbutadiene (II) at ?30°C yields diphosphannickelacyclopentadiene (III) which at elevated temperatures isomerizes to diphosphanecyclobutadienenickel(0) (IV). The thermodynamic and kinetic parameters of the rearrangement were determined. The structural and conformational analyses of III were carried out by means of ¹³C NMR, ³¹P NMR and Raman spectroscopy. The reactions of III and IV with CH₃COOH, CO, RCCR and RNCNR have been axamined and the observed reactivities III ? IV are discussed.