Methylidene rotation

In mechanistic studies, the molybdacyclobutane of a MAP catalyst was found to break up to ethylene/methylidene intermediates 4500 times faster than the corresponding tungstacycle (at 40°C) [19]. Syn and anti proton exchange were also found to be significantly faster (up to lOOx s) for molybdacycles than for tungsta-cycles. Methylidene rotation about the M=C bond was determined to be comparatively slower for molybdenum complexes (<0.2 s ) than for tungsten complexes (3.6-230 s ). Schrock and coworkers proposed that many of these properties contribute to the superior efficiency of the tungsten MAP catalysts relative to their molybdenum counterparts. 

Reaction of 3 with Ph3C+PF6" resulted in the formation of methylidene complex [(n-C5H5)Re(N0)(PPh3)(CH2)]+ PF6 (8) in 88-100% spectroscopic yields, as shown in Figure 11. Although 8 decomposes in solution slowly at -10 °C and rapidly at 25 °C (She decomposition is second order in 8), it can be isolated as an off-white powder (pure by H NMR) when the reaction is worked up at -23 °C. The methylidene H and 13C NMR chemical shifts are similar to those observed previously for carbene complexes [28]. However, the multiplicity of the H NMR spectrum indicates the two methylidene protons to be non-equivalent (Figure 11). Since no coalescence is.observed below the decomposition point of 8, a lower limit of AG >15 kcal/mol can be set for the rotational barrier about the rhenium-methylidene bond. 

Using dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene as a model NHC ligand, Straub [12] has calculated the intramolecular methylidene-NHC carbene dimerization pathway (Scheme 7.12). Rotation of the methylidene to the active, horizontal conformation required only 3.3kcalmol . The insertion of methylidene into the Ru-C(NHC)... 

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