Oxidatively induced isomerisation of vinylidene ligands to alkynes: ESR spectra of paramagnetic vinylidene and alkyne arene metal complexes

UV irradiation of [M(CO)3(η-arene)] and Me3SiCCSiMe3 gives [M(CO)2{CC(SiMe3)2}(η-arene)] (M = Cr, arene = C6H2Me4-1,2,3,5 2V, C6H3Me3-1,2,3 3V or C6H6 4V; M = Mo, arene = C6Me6 5V or C6H3Me3-1,3,5 6V). The crystal structure of [Cr(CO)2{CC(SiMe3)2}(η-C6H6)] 4V confirms the presence of the vinylidene ligand; the complex has approximate Cs symmetry with the C(SiMe3)2 plane orthogonal to the arenecentroid–Cr–Cα–Cβ plane. Voltammetry and IR and NMR spectroscopy show that in solution [Mo(CO)2{CC(SiMe3)2}(η-C6H3Me3-1,3,5)] 6V thermally equilibrates with the alkyne isomer [Mo(CO)2(η-Me3SiCCSiMe3)(η-C6H3Me3-1,3,5)] 6A. The vinylidene complexes [M(CO)2{CC(SiMe3)2}(η-arene)] 2V–6V undergo one-electron oxidation to the alkyne cations [M(CO)2(η-Me3SiCCSiMe3)(η-arene)]+ 2A+–6A+via fast, redox-induced vinylidene-to-alkyne isomerisation. These cations are reduced to the neutral alkyne complexes [M(CO)2(η-Me3SiCCSiMe3)(η-arene)] 2A–6A which slowly isomerise thermally to the neutral vinylidene complexes 2V–6V. Paramagnetic vinylidene and alkyne complex cations have been characterised by ESR spectroscopy; unpaired electron density is extensively delocalised from the metal centre to the C2 ligand, in agreement with the results of EHMO calculations.