Aromatic compounds chromium tricarbonyl complexes

One of the most useful types of it complexes of aromatic compounds from the synthetic point of view are chromium tricarbonyl complexes obtained by heating benzene or other aromatics with Cr(CO)6. 

Aromatic organosilicon compounds react with chromium hexacar-bonyl on prolonged heating to give the corresponding silylated rjfi-arene chromium tricarbonyl complexes (57, 150). The trimethylsilyl derivative, obtained in 20% yield, is air-stable as a solid ... 

For the alkylation of enolates, chromium tricarbonyl complexes of aromatic compounds (benchrotrenes) are useful, as they make simple aromatic compounds chiral. Thus, enantiomer-ically pure (indanone)tricarbonylchromium (2R)-25 has been prepared by resolution of the racemic benchrotrene derivative with cinchonidine and oxidation of the alcohol to the ketone with manganese dioxide60. The chiral ketone is alkylated diastereoselectively via the enolate, leading to the f.vo-2-methyl derivative (2/ )-25 which has been used in enolate alkylations and annulation reactions (Section D.1.5.2.4.). If necessary, complete isomerization to the endo-methyl compound can be achieved by treatment with base. 

Among the compounds that form complexes with silver and other metals are benzene (represented as in 9) and cyclooctatetraene. When the metal involved has a coordination number >1, more than one donor molecule participates. In many cases, this extra electron density comes from CO groups, which in these eomplexes are called carbonyl groups. Thus, benzene-chromium tricarbonyl (10) is a stable compound. Three arrows are shown, since all three aromatic bonding orbitals contribute some electron density to the metal. Metallocenes (p. 53) may be considered a special case of this type of complex, although the bonding in metallocenes is much stronger. 

Arene(tricarbonyl)chromium complexes, 19 Nickel boride, 197 to trans-alkenes Chromium(II) sulfate, 84 of anhydrides to lactones Tetrachlorotris[bis(l,4-diphenyl-phosphine)butane]diruthenium, 288 of aromatic rings Palladium catalysts, 230 Raney nickel, 265 Sodium borohydride-1,3-Dicyano-benzene, 279 of aryl halides to arenes Palladium on carbon, 230 of benzyl ethers to alcohols Palladium catalysts, 230 of carboxylic acids to aldehydes Vilsmeier reagent, 341 of epoxides to alcohols Samarium(II) iodide, 270 Sodium hydride-Sodium /-amyloxide-Nickel(II) chloride, 281 Sodium hydride-Sodium /-amyloxide-Zinc chloride, 281 of esters to alcohols Sodium borohydride, 278 of imines and related compounds Arene(tricarbonyl)chromium complexes, 19... 

Planar chiral compounds usually (and for the purpose of this review, always) contain unsymmetrically substituted aromatic systems. Chirality arises because the otherwise enantiotopic faces of the aromatic ring are differentiated by the coordination to a metal atom - commonly iron (in the ferrocenes) or chromium (in the arenechromium tricarbonyl complexes). Withdrawal of electrons by the metal centre means that arene-metal complexes and metallocenes are more readily lithiated than their parent aromatic systems, and the stereochemical features associated with the planar chirality allow lithiation to be diastereoselective (if the starting material is chiral) or enantioselective (if only the product is chiral). 

---