Reaction of Organolithium Reagents with Cyclorhenated and Cyclomanganated (η6-Arene)tricarbonylchromium Complexes: Structural Characterization of a New Benzoylrhenate Intermediate and Selective Ortho-Acetylation of (η6-Arene)tricarbonylchromium Complexes

The nucleophilic addition of PhLi to tetracarbonyl[3-methyl-2-{(η 6 -phenyl)tricarbonylchromium(0)}pyridine]rhenium(I) yields the air-stable ( exo -benzoyl)(tricarbonyl)[3-methyl-2-{(η 6 -phenyl)tricarbonylchromium(0)- κ C 2 ‘ }pyridine- κ N ]rhenate(I) that has been isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis and other spectroscopic methods. A similar treatment applied to cyclomanganated (η 6 -arene)Cr(CO) 3 analogues with a nucleophile such as MeLi provides a new route to the synthesis of ortho disubstituted (η 6 -acetophenone)Cr(CO) 3 derivatives.