Diene syntheses metallocenes

Even non-conjugated di-olefins may be used in these systems as precursors for the (conjugated diene)metallocene synthesis. They become isomerized under the reaction conditions at the bent metallocene system.81 Even vinylcyclopropanes yield the corresponding (l,3-diene)metallocene complexes when treated with the reagent 71. The three-membered ring is readily opened under the typical reaction conditions.82... 

While metallocene-derived complexes 103 deserve interest mainly because of their redox properties and applications resulting therefrom, half-sandwich complexes 104 and 105 show more diverse chemical reactions. Based on their synthesis of the fulvalene dianion 102, Smart et al. [99] prepared some molybdenum complexes such as 108 [62% yield based on Na(DME)Cp] by treatment of 102 with molybdenum hexacarbonyl followed by oxidation with bromine. Vollhardt reported the synthesis of a variety of homo- and heterodinuclear fulvalene complexes such as 109-112 by treatment of dihydrofulvalene and respective metal carbonyls. The dichromium complex 110 has some catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of conjugated dienes [110]. The authors report the reaction with iron carbonyls being unsuccessful, whereas the reaction with dicobaltoctacarbonyl resulted in the formation of fulvalene complex 112 lacking a metal-metal bond in 80% yield (Scheme 10.38) [100, 101]. Later, the diiron complex corresponding to 109 was reported [111]. Hermann et al. and Cuenca etal. prepared zirconium(IV) and zirconium(III) fulvalene complexes [112,113]. 

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