Syntheses of carbon monoxide, cyclopentadienyl and related compounds of transition metals containing the η1- or η2-dimethylaminomethyl ligand

Abstract

A series of chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, and iron carbonyl and substituted carbonyl compounds containing the dimethylaminomethyl, CH₂NMe₂, ligand has been synthesized using the reactive immonium compound, di-methyl(methylene)ammonium iodide. The dimethylaminomethyl group has been shown to function as a one-electron donor in compounds such as (η⁵-C₅H₅)Mo(CO)₃(η′-CH₂NMe₂) and as a three-electron donor ligand in compounds such as [Mo(CO)₃(bipy)(η²-CH₂NMe₂)]⁺I^–. Interaction of Cr and Fe carbonyl dianions with the immonium compound has been shown to form metal–carbene compounds.