Ketenimine Complexes from Metal Isocyanides and Diazoalkanes

Free ketenimines can be synthesized in two steps from the readily accessible cobalt isocyanide complexes 1 and diaryldiazoalkanes 2. Thus, ketenimines cannot only be prepared at a metal center from a carbene ligand and an isocyanide but also from an isocyanide ligand and a carbene source, e.g. a diazoalkane. The complexes 3–6 are obtained in 54–68% yield, and the corresponding ketenimines 7–10 can be liberated from these with iodine at room temperature (3/7, 4/8, 5/9: R  Me, CR  CPh2, C(p‐Tol)2, fluorenylides; 6/10: R  CHMePh. CR  fluorenylides). equation image