Manganese complexes cyanates

Tris (triphenylphosphine) nickel, tris (tri-p-tolylphosphine) nickel, and bis (1,3-diphenylphosphinepropane) nickel proved to be good catalysts, the first being slightly more effective. The tricyclohexylphosphine complex was a very poor catalyst, and bis (cyclooctadiene) nickel did not catalyze cyanation. Cyanation of several substituted aromatic halides in the presence of Ni[P(C6H5)3]3 prepared by reducing dichlorobis (triphenylphosphine) nickel (II) 2 with a powdered manganese iron (80 20) alloy (Reaction 3) is reported in Table II. 

Transition metal organometallic complexes like dicarbonyl cyclopentadienyl iron [128], tricarbonyl cyclopentadienyl manganese [129] and iron-arene complexes [130,131] have also been reported as photoinitiators for photochemical crosslinking of cyanate esters. Photosubstitution of carbonyl groups by -OCN during irradiation initiates the reaction in the former case whereas photochemical dissociation of arene triggers it in the latter system. 

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