Zwitterionic adducts from addition of imines to the α-carbon atom of pentacarbonyl(vinylidene)chromium and -tungsten complexes

Imines, Im, such as MeN=C(Ph)H (5), 2-methyl 4,5-dihydrothiazole (8a), 2-methyl 4,5-dihydrooxazole (8b) and MeN=C(OMe)Me (13) add to the α-carbon atom of the vinylidene ligand in [(CO)₅Cr=C=CMe₂] (4) to give isolable zwitterionic adducts, [(CO)₅Cr⁻–C(=CMe₂)(Im⁺)]. The reaction of [(CO)₅W=C=CPh₂] (12) with 13 also yields an adduct, [(CO)₅W⁻–C(=CPh₂){NMe=C(OMe)Me}⁺] (15), whereas from the corresponding reaction of 4 with xanthylideneimine, H–N=C(C₆H₄)₂O (16), a carbene complex, [(CO)₅Cr=C(i-Pr)–N=C(C₆H₄)₂O] (17), is obtained. Complex 17 presumably is formed by initial addition of 16 to 4 and subsequently rapid rearrangement. In solution, the adduct [(CO)₅Cr⁻–C(=CMe₂)(NMe=C(Ph)H)⁺] (6) slowly cyclizes to form the 2-azetidin-1-ylidene complex [(CO)₅Cr=Me₂] (7). In contrast, when solution of those zwitterions are heated that are formed by addition of 4,5-dihydrothiazole or 4,5-dihydrooxazole to 4, no cyclization is observed but rather the formation of 4,5-dihydrothiazole and 4,5-dihydrooxazole complexes, respectively. The structures of two adducts, [(CO)₅Cr⁻–C(=CMe₂)(Im⁺)] (Im=MeN=C(Ph)H, 2-methyl 4,5-dihydrothiazole) and of the substitution product [(CO)₅W(2-methyl 4,5-dihydrothiazole)] have been established by X-ray structural analyses.