Protonation of manganese phosphonioallenyl complexes

The addition of phosphines to the manganese allenylidene complexes Cp(CO)₂MnCCC(Ph)R (R = H, Ph) proceeds selectively at the C_α atom to result in the α-phosphonioallenyl complexes Cp(CO)₂Mn⁻-C(⁺PR₃¹)CC(Ph)R. The protonation of the latter affords the η²-(1,2)-phosphonioallenes Cp(CO)₂Mn{η²-(1,2)-HC(⁺PR₃¹)CC(Ph)R}, rather than the phosphoniovinylcarbenes Cp(CO)₂MnC(⁺PR₃¹)-HCC(Ph)R. All complexes obtained are stereochemically rigid and do not isomerize into the η²-(2,3)-phosphonioallene isomers.