Syntheses and structures of molybdenum and tungsten pentabenzylcyclopentadienyl complexes: new chlorination reactions

Abstract [M(CpBz)(CO) 3 CH 3 ] (M=Mo, 2a , W, 2b ; CpBz=C 5 (CH 2 Ph) 5 ) have been prepared and reacted with PCl 5 and PhI · Cl 2 . Depending on the metal and on the chlorinating reagent used [Mo(CpBz)(η 2 -COCH 3 )Cl 3 ], 3 , [W(CpBz)Cl 4 ], 4 , [Mo(CpBz)(CO) 3 Cl], 5 and [Mo(CpBz)Cl 4 ], 6 have been obtained. The molecular structures of all compounds are reported and two conformations have been characterised for the benzyl substituents. In complexes 2a , 2b and 5 one phenyl ring bends towards the metals while in 3 and 4 the five phenyls point opposite to the metals.