Isomerisation and fragmentation of sulfur-containing organometallacycles on dicobalt centres induced by phosphorus donor ligands
Abstract
Treatment of the dibridged dicobalt complex [Co2(μ-PPh2){μ-η1(S)∶η1(C)∶η2(C)-SPhC(O)CR′CR}(CO)4] (R′ = R = H 1a) with L, at ambient temperature, affords an inseparable mixture of two mono-substituted isomeric complexes of general formula [Co2(μ-PPh2){μ-η1(S)∶η1(C)∶η2(C)-SPhC(O)CHCH}(CO)3(L)] [L = P(OMe)32a/3a, PPhMe22b/3b], differing only in the metal centre at which L is coordinated. When the reaction is performed with [Co2(μ-PPh2){μ-η1(S)∶η1(C)∶η2(C)-SPhC(O)CR′CR}(CO)4] [R′ = Me, R = H 1b], in which R′ and R are inequivalent, a similar mixture of inseparable isomers is isolated, [Co2(μ-PPh2){μ-η1(S)∶η1(C)∶η2(C)-SPhC(O)CMeCH}(CO)3(L)] [L = P(OMe)34a/5a, PPhMe24b/5b] and, in addition, a third separable isomer, [Co2(μ-PPh2){μ-η1(S)∶η1(C)∶η2(C)-SPhC(O)CHCMe}(CO)3(L)] [L = P(OMe)3, 6a, PPhMe26b], in which R′ and R have interchanged. Addition of a further equivalent of L at elevated temperature to mixtures of 2/3 results in both