Cyclopropylcarbonyl complexes

A different strategy is utilized to prepare Fischer-type cyclopropylmethoxycarbenium complexes. [LM C=(OMe)(c-Pr)]+ by alkylation of cyclopropylcarbonyl complexes c-PrC(0)ML (vide supra). Thus, treating acyl complex FpCO(c-Pr), obtained from the reaction of NaFp [Fp = Cp(CO)2] and c-PrCOCI, with Me,0+BF4 in CH2C12 gives cyclopropylmethoxycarbenium fluoroborate complex salt [Fp=C(OMe)(c-Pr)]BF4 (equation 68) which can be further reduced to the corresponding Schrock-type cyclopropyl carbene complex (vide infra, Section II.C.2)142. 

Although much effort has been devoted to decarbonylation of cyclopropylcarbonyl metal complexes (vide supra), only (cyclopentadienyl)dicarbonyliron (Fp) derivatives have been successfully decarbonylated either photochemically22,24 or using Wilkinson s rhodium catalyst [(PPh3)2RhCl]2 (equation 35). Further decarbonylation by irradiation led to metallacyclopentane formation, whereas thermal decomposition resulted in the formation of the corresponding Cp(CO)Fe(allyl) complexes. 

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