Pyridine ring opening at room temperature at a rhenium tricarbonyl bipyridine complex

Pyridine ring opening occurs in the reaction of Re(CO)3(MeIm)(bipy)]OTf with KN(SiMe3)2 followed by double methylation with methyl trifluoromethanesulfonate. Analogues of the neutral product of the initial deprotonation and of the product of the first methylation were isolated by using mesitylimidazole (MesIm) in place of methylimidazole (MeIm) and/or 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) instead of 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy).