Reactivity of some “ladder” type complexes under conditions of metallation

The behavior of binuclear “ladder” type complexes FpL, where Fp=Cp(CO)₂Fe, L=p-MeC₆H₄Cr(CO)₃ (4), CH₂C₆H₅Cr(CO)₃ (5), andp-FpC₆H₄Cr(CO)₃ (6), under conditions of metallation was studied. Unlike compounds5 and6, the σ-bound ligand L in compound4 migrates from the iron atom to the cyclopentadienyl ring to give complexes Me(CO)₂FeC₅H₄−C₆H₄(p-Me)Cr(CO)₃. The electrochemical reduction potentials of the complexes4–6 and the rearrangement products were measured. The migration activity of L is determined by the ease of reductive cleavage of the Fe−L bond and the susceptibility of the system to undergo intramolecular electron transfer from the Cp ligand to the aromatic ring. Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1832–1835, September, 1998.