title: 19-electron intermediates in the ligand substitution of CpW(CO)3* with a Lewis base.
abstract: The photochemical reactions of [CpW(CO)3]2 with the Lewis base P(OMe)3 are examined on the nanosecond and microsecond time scales using step-scan FTIR spectroscopy. Photolysis at 532 nm produces the 17-electron (17e) radicals CpW(CO)3*, which are in equilibrium with the 19-electron (19e) radicals CpW(CO)3P(OMe)3* on the nanosecond time scale. The reactions of the 19e radical are directly observed for the first time; the major reaction pathway is spontaneous loss of a carbonyl to form the 17e species CpW(CO)2P(OMe)3*, with a barrier of 7.6 +/- 0.3 kcal/mol for this process. The minor reaction pathway (<20%) at this concentration of P(OMe)3 (85 mM) is disproportionation to form the products CpW(CO)3P(OMe)3+ and CpW(CO)3-. On the microsecond time scale, the 17e radicals CpW(CO)2P(OMe)3* dimerize to form the ligand substitution product [CpW(CO)2P(OMe)3]2. These results indicate that the 19e species is a stable intermediate rather than transition state in the ligand substitution reaction, and this type of reactivity is likely to be typical of 17e organometallic radicals which undergo associative substitution mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Cahoon
authors.forename: Matthias F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Kling
authors.forename: Karma R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frei
authors.forename: Charles B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Harris