Syntheses, electrochemistry, and bonding of bis(cyclopentadienyl)molybdenum alkyl complexes. Molecular structure of Mo(.eta.5-C5H5)2(C4H9)2. Thermochemistry of Mo(.eta.5-C5H5)2R2 and Mo(.eta.5-C5H5)2L (R = CH3, C2H5, C4H9; L = ethylene, diphenylacetylene)

Crystal structure of di-n-but-yl-bis-(η (5)-penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dien-yl)hafnium(IV)

The crystal structure of the title compound, [Hf(C₁₀H₁₅)₂(C₄H₉)₂], reveals two independent mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The diffraction experiment was performed with a racemically twinned crystal showing a 0.529 (5):0.471 (5) component ratio. Each Hf^IV atom is coordinated by two penta­methyl­cyclo­penta­dienyl and two n-butyl ligands in a distorted tetra­hedral geometry, with the cyclo­penta­dienyl rings inclined to one another by 45.11 (15) and 45.37 (16)°. In contrast to the isostructural di(n-butyl)bis(η⁵-penta­methyl­cyclo­penta­dien­yl)zirconium(IV) complex with a noticeable difference in the Zr–butyl bonding, the Hf—C_but­yl bond lengths differ from each other by no more than 0.039 (3) Å.

Reactions of halofluorocarbons with group 6 complexes M(C(5)H(5))(2)L (M = Mo, W; L = C(2)H(4), CO). Fluoroalkylation at molybdenum and tungsten, and at cyclopentadienyl or ethylene ligands

The molybdenum(II) and tungsten(II) complexes [MCp(2)L] (Cp = eta(5)-cyclopentadienyl; L = C(2)H(4), CO) react with perfluoroalkyl iodides to give a variety of products. The Mo(II) complex [MoCp(2)(C(2)H(4))] reacts with perfluoro-n-butyl iodide or perfluorobenzyl iodide with loss of ethylene to give the first examples of fluoroalkyl complexes of Mo(IV), MoCp(2)(CF(2)CF(2)CF(2)CF(3))I (8) and MoCp(2)(CF(2)C(6)F(5))I (9), one of which (8) has been crystallographically characterized. In contrast, the CO analogue [MoCp(2)(CO)] reacts with perfluorobenzyl iodide without loss of CO to give the crystallographically characterized salt, [MoCp(2)(CF(2)C(6)F(5))(CO)](+)I(-) (10), and the W(II) ethylene precursor [WCp(2)(C(2)H(4))] reacts with perfluorobenzyl iodide without loss of ethylene to afford the salt [WCp(2)(CF(2)C(6)F(5))(C(2)H(4))](+)I(-) (11). These observations demonstrate that the metal-carbon bond is formed first. In further contrast the tungsten precursor [WCp(2)(C(2)H(4))] reacts with perfluoro-n-butyl iodide, perfluoro-iso-propyl iodide, and pentafluorophenyl iodide to give fluoroalkyl- and fluorophenyl-substituted cyclopentadienyl complexes WCp(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)R(F))(H)I (12, R(F) = CF(2)CF(2)CF(2)CF(3); 15, R(F) = CF(CF(3))(2); 16, R(F) = C(6)F(5)); the Mo analogue MoCp(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)R(F))(H)I (14, R(F) = CF(CF(3))(2)) is obtained in similar fashion. The tungsten(IV) hydrido compounds react with iodoform to afford the corresponding diiodides WCp(eta(5)-C(5)H(4)R(F))I(2) (13, R(F) = CF(2)CF(2)CF(2)CF(3); 18, R(F) = CF(CF(3))(2); 19, R(F) = C(6)F(5)), two of which (13 and 19) have been crystallographically characterized. The carbonyl precursors [MCp(2)(CO)] each react with perfluoro-iso-propyl iodide without loss of CO, to afford the exo-fluoroalkylated cyclopentadiene M(II) complexes MCp(eta(4)-C(5)H(5)R(F))(CO)I (21, M = Mo; 22, M = W); the exo-stereochemistry for the fluoroalkyl group is confirmed by an X-ray structural study of 22. The ethylene analogues [MCp(2)(C(2)H(4))] react with perfluoro-tert-butyl iodide to yield the products MCp(2)[(CH(2)CH(2)C(CF(3))(3)]I (25, M = Mo; 26, M = W) resulting from fluoroalkylation at the ethylene ligand. Attempts to provide positive evidence for fluoroalkyl radicals as intermediates in reactions of primary and benzylic substrates were unsuccessful, but trapping experiments with CH(3)OD (to give R(F)D, not R(F)H) indicate that fluoroalkyl anions are the intermediates responsible for ring and ethylene fluoroalkylation in the reactions of secondary and tertiary fluoroalkyl substrates.