Reactivity of Bridged Pentelidene Complexes with Isonitriles: A New Way to Pentel‐Containing Heterocycles

The reaction of Cp*E{W(CO)₅}₂] (E=P ( 1 a ), As ( 1 b ); Cp*=1,2,3,4,5‐pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) with isonitriles RNC (R=tBu, cyclohexyl (Cy), nBu) depends on the steric demand of the substituent at the isonitrile as well as on the stoichiometry of the starting materials. With tBuNC only the Lewis acid/base adducts Cp*E{W(CO)₅}₂(CNtBu)] (E=P ( 2 a ), As ( 2 b )) are formed. The use of Cy and n‐butylisonitrile leads first to the formation of the Lewis acid/base adduct, but only at low temperatures. At ambient temperatures, a rearrangement occurs and bicyclo3.2.0]heptane derivatives of the type {C(Me)C(CH₂)C(Me)C(Me)C(Me)}C(NR)‐ E{W(CO)₅}₂] (E=P, As; R=Cy, nBu) ( 3 a‐Cy , 3 b‐Cy , 3 a‐nBu and 3 b‐nBu ) are obtained. The use of a further equivalent of isonitrile results in products revealing two new structural motifs, the four‐membered ring derivatives C(Cp*)N(R)C(NR)E{W(CO)₅}₂] ( 4 : E=P, As; R=Cy, nBu) and the bicyclic complexes {C(Me)C‐ (CH₂)C(Me)C(Me)C(Me)}C(NR)₂‐ E{W(CO)₅}₂] ( 5 : E=As; R=Cy). The reaction pathway depends on the substituent at the isonitrile. By treatment of 1 a with two equivalents of CyNC only a 2H‐1,3‐azaphosphet complex 4 a‐Cy (E=P; R=Cy) is formed. Treatment of 1 b with two equivalents of CyNC exclusively leads to the complex 5 b‐Cy (E=As; R=Cy). Treatment of 1 a with two equivalents of nBuNC results in a mixture of complexes, the 2H‐1,3‐azaphosphet 4 a‐nBu (E=P; R=nBu) and the bicyclic complex 5 a‐nBu (E=P; R=nBu). For the arsenidene complex 1 b a mixture of the 2H‐1,3‐azarsete complex 4 b‐nBu (E=As; R=nBu) and the bicyclic complex 5 b‐nBu (E=P, As; R=Cy, nBu) is obtained. Complex 4 b‐nBu is the first example of a 2H‐1,3‐azarsete complex. All products have been characterized by using mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction analysis.