Metal carbonyl chemistry. Part 27. Formation of [Co3(CCl)(CO)9] by reaction of the carbene precursor Hg(CCl3)Ph with octacarbonyl-dicobalt

Abstract

Octacarbonyldicobalt reacts with the dichlorocarbene precursor Hg(CCl₃)Ph at 60 °C in hexane to afford [Co₃(CCl)-(CO)₉] in 49% yield. A similar yield of this complex is also obtained at 30 °C, i.e. under conditions where appeciable thermal decomposition of Hg(CCl₃)Ph to HgPhCl and CCl₂ does not occur. Trapping experiments using cyclohexene have demonstrated that under both sets of conditions dichlorocarbene is formed. Possible mechanisms to explain the formation of the carbene and [Co₃(CCl)(CO)₉] are discussed.