Zirconium complexes formyls

The CO reductions generally could likely proceed through formyl intermediates, probably at a multinuclear site (420) hydride migration to a coordinated CO [e.g., as in the hypothetical scheme outlined in Eq. (72)] has not yet been observed, although metal formyl complexes have been synthesized via other methods (422-425). A ir-bonded formyl also seems plausible (426), since 7r-bonded acyl groups have been demonstrated (427). A stoichiometric hydrogen reduction of CO to methanol under mild conditions via a bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)zirconium complex is considered to go through a formyl intermediate (428, 429) ... 

Mn(II) > Mg(II).270 It should be underlined that titanium and zirconium alkoxides are efficient catalysts for both stages of reaction. Lanthanide compounds such as 2,2/-bipyridyl, acetylacetonate, and o-formyl phenolate complexes of Eu(III), La(III), Sm(III), Er(III), and Tb(III) appear to be even more efficient than titanium alkoxides, Ca or Mn acetates, Sb203, and their mixtures.273 Moreover, PET produced with lanthanides has been reported to exhibit better thermal and hydrolytic stability as compared to PET synthesized with the conventional Ca acetate -Sb203 catalytic system.273... 

This type of side-on bending, which has been established by X-ray crystallographic methods for the related acyl complexes (r 5-C5H5)2Zr(COMe)Me (38) and (T>5-C5H5)2Ti(COMe)Cl (39), could overcome the thermodynamic objection, previously discussed, against the formation of a normal, linearly bonded formyl by CO insertion into a metal-hydride bond. Thermochemical data obtained from alcoholysis of zirconium tetralkyl species show that the mean bond energy of Zr—O is 50 kcal/mole greater than that of Zr—C (40). 

Zirconium hydride reactivity with carbon monoxide demonstrates the strong driving force toward products with a Zr-O bond. Indeed, the facility of the CO migratory insertion into Zr-C and especially Zr-H bonds may be from a carbonyl oxygen-zirconium interaction that stabilizes the transition state to the acyl and formyl complexes. 

Zirconium and Ta hydride complexes react with CO forming formyl ... 

---