Photochemical Preparation of Transition-Metal Carbonyl Compounds with l,l,2,2-Tetrafluoro-l,2-disilacyclobutenes as Ligands

Organometalhc compounds involving a five-membered disilametallacyclic structure are conveniently prepared by photochemical reactions between l,l,2,2-tetrafluoro-l,2-disilacyclobutene and transition-metal carbonyls (M = Mo, Fe, Mn, and Co). The reaction mechanism can be rationalized as an initial dissociation of M-CO followed by oxidative addition of the Si-Si bonds to the coordinatively unsaturated metal carbonyl species. Some intermediates, the olefin complexes, can be isolated and converted to the disilametallacyclic compounds by further irradiation.